Ronna McDaniel soft-launched her new NBC News gig on Meet the Press Sunday morning during a heated interview with host Kristen Welker where the former RNC Chairwoman contradicted stances she previously pushed.

Longtime NBC News Meet the Press host Chuck Todd, who left the show last year, said during a panel after Welker’s interview that their bosses ‘owe you an apology’ for allowing McDaniel on the show.

McDaniel announced she was stepping down as Republican National Committee Chairwoman after mounting pressure from former President Donald Trump. She was replaced with longtime MAGA ally and former North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley.

And Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara was elected co-chair of the party at a meeting in Texas earlier this month. 

Upon McDaniel’s departure, she signed a deal for a new gig at liberal-leaning NBC News. 

Former RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel soft-launched her new NBC News contributor gig on Sunday in a heated interview with Meet the Press host Kristen Welker

During a panel after the interview, former Meet the Press host Chuck Todd (right) said their bosses owe Welker (left) an apology for having McDaniel on her show 

Welker welcomed McDaniel on her show on Sunday to soft-launch her new job – but the conversation went sour.

McDaniel admitted on the show that she ‘took one for the team’ when it came to voicing the opinion of the entire RNC, claiming this included pushing Trump’s claims the 2020 election was not legitimate and that convicted January 6 prisoners should be let out of jail.

‘I do not think people who committed violent acts on January 6 should be freed,’ McDaniel told Welker.

‘So you disagree with that. He’s been saying that for months, Ronna. Why not speak out earlier? Why just speak out about that now?’ the NBC host questioned.

‘When you’re the RNC chair, you kind of take one for the whole team right now,’ she replied. ‘I get to be a little bit more myself, right?’

She continued: ‘This is what I believe. I don’t think violence should be in our political discourse, Republican or Democrat. And I disagree with that. I agree with him on a whole host of other things.’

‘I don’t think we should be freeing people who violently attacked Capitol Hill police officers and attack the Capitol.’

It followed a tense back-and-forth regarding the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and the repeated claims that the results were not legitimate due to widespread fraud and interference. 

McDaniel claims that while there were ‘problems’ in 2020, she does believe that Biden is the legitimately elected president. 

But Welker questioned why McDaniel could now discuss this but was not willing to make the same claims when she was chairwoman at the RNC for years.

‘I’m gonna push back a little because I do think it’s fair to say there were problems and 2020 and to say that does not mean he’s not the legitimate president,’ McDaniel reasoned.

McDaniel was pressed by Welker on several topics, including whether she feels the 2020 election results were legitimate and if January 6 prisoners convicted of violence should be freed

During an on-air panel after Welker’s discussion with McDaniel, her predecessor was visibly upset with the fact the former RNC chairwoman was hired by NBC News.

‘Let me deal with the elephant in the room – I think our bosses owe you an apology for putting you in this situation. Because I don’t know what to believe,’ Todd said.

‘She is now a paid contributor by NBC News, so I have no idea whether any answers she gave to you was because she didn’t want to mess up her contract,’ he continued. ‘She wants us to believe that she was speaking for the RNC when the RNC was paying for it.’

So she has credibility issues that she still has to deal with. Is she speaking for herself or is she speaking on behalf of who’s paying her?’

Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison also slammed NBC for the new hire.

‘The free and independent press is fundamental to our democracy, and has and continues to face unprecedented attacks by Donald Trump and his lackeys – including Ronna McDaniel – to chip away at its credibility and allow space for MAGA lies and deceit,’ he wrote in a statement on Sunday.

‘All of us – the independent press included – have a duty to stop them.

He added: ‘There should be no debate about the truth in our political discourse. Ronna McDaniel is a proven liar, and has no place in an honest and objective conversation about the future of this country.’