Former RNC chair makes U-turn over Donald Trump's stolen election claims

Washington DC - Ronna McDaniel, the former chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, has finally admitted that the 2020 presidential elections were not stolen from Donald Trump, after years of saying otherwise.

Former RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel (r.) recently admitted that Donald Trump lost the 2020 elections after years of pushing his false election denialism.
Former RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel (r.) recently admitted that Donald Trump lost the 2020 elections after years of pushing his false election denialism.  © Collage: Rob Carr / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP & Robyn BECK / AFP

McDaniel sat down for an interview with NBC host Kristen Welker on Meet the Press on Sunday, where she declared, for the first time, that President Joe Biden did win "fair and square" but continued to push the idea that there are "issues" with voting.

She also went on to boldly denounce those involved with the January 6 Capitol riots.

"I want to be very clear: The violence that happened on January 6 is unacceptable. It doesn't represent our country. It certainly does not represent my party," she said.

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"If you attacked our Capitol and you have been convicted, then that should stay," she added.

McDaniel's comments come only two weeks after she resigned as chair of the RNC. Trump, who felt McDaniel was not fighting hard enough for him, sought to replace her with Michael Whatley and his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, who were unanimously voted in as chair and co-chair, respectively, earlier this month.

As self-described MAGA loyalists, Whatley and Lara have vowed to dedicate every RNC resource to support Trump's re-election effort.

When pressed on why she never condemned the violence on Jan. 6 while she was head of the RNC, she argued, "When you're the RNC chair, you kind of take one for the whole team. Right now, I get to be a little bit more myself."

NBC News faces backlash after hiring Ronna McDaniels as a commentator

Donald Trump (l.) introducing then-RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel at a fundraising event in New York City on December 2, 2017.
Donald Trump (l.) introducing then-RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel at a fundraising event in New York City on December 2, 2017.  © ALMOND NGAN / AFP

McDaniel's remarks also come after news broke last Friday that she had been hired by NBC News as a political analyst.

As someone who spent years pushing Trump's election denialism and allegedly helped pressure election officials not to certify the 2020 election results, her hiring has been met with serious backlash, as critics see her as dishonest and not representative of the journalistic integrity that an outlet like NBC claims to have.

In an opening statement before airing their interview, Welker directly told the audience that her conversation with McDaniel took place before her hiring and that she was "not involved" in her being hired.

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Welker's colleague Chuck Todd also took issue with McDaniel joining their team. While speaking with Welker after airing the interview, he praised her for pressing McDaniel, who he argued has spent years "gaslighting" journalists while pushing Trump's many lies.

"I think our bosses owe you an apology for putting you in this situation," he said. "She has credibility issues that she still has to deal with."

Hosts of the popular show Morning Joe, which airs on NBC's sister network MSNBC, said McDaniel is not welcome on their program and urged NBC to reconsider their decision.

Cover photo: Collage: Rob Carr / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP & Robyn BECK / AFP

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