OPINION | This article contains commentary that reflects the author's opinion.
MSNBC host Jen Psaki defended her hiring at the network against comparisons to Ronna McDaniel, who was recently not hired by NBC.
Psaki distinguished herself by claiming she brings “honesty” and “good faith” unlike McDaniel, whom she accused of pushing lies.
She warned about threats to democracy from lies and attacks on institutions.
Nicolle Wallace meltdown on MSNBC about Ronna McDaniel hiring:
'What we've said to election deniers is not just that they can do that on our airwaves, but that they can do that as one of us – as badge-carrying employees of NBC News. As paid contributors to our sacred airwaves.' pic.twitter.com/udFu5046aX
— Steve Krakauer (@SteveKrak) March 25, 2024
“This isn’t about Republican versus Democrat. This isn’t about red versus blue. This is about truth versus lies. Service to the country versus service to one man committed to toppling our democratic system,” Psaki said.
“That is the type of experience that Ronna McDaniel brings to the table,” she said.
Her comments drew criticism as hypocritical given past misleading statements from her time as White House press secretary, such as denying any Democratic support for late-term abortions.
House Speaker Mike Johnson “suggested that his election as speaker was an act of God,” Psaki said previously. “Talk about a bit of a humblebrag there.”
“It’s not just his political ideology that should scare us. Johnson is basically a Christian fundamentalist,” she added.
Psaki’s rhetoric mirrors that often seen on MSNBC from hosts like Rachel Maddow and Joe Scarborough, who have made hyperbolic claims about threats to democracy and Trump putting Americans in camps or executing enemies.
Psaki’s hiring fits into MSNBC’s pattern of stoking moral panic but has been called out for hypocrisy given her own record of misleading statements.
