Reporters Hassled At RNC

Kelly O’Donnell, an NBC News Capitol Hill correspondent and a correspondent for MSNBC, was ushered off the convention floor by security personnel during a live segment while covering the Republican National Convention, according to Politico.

O’Donnell, who was reporting live from Cleveland during the 5 p.m. hour for a special edition of “The Place for Politics,” told anchor Chuck Todd that she was being “hassled” on the convention floor while trying to report on the chaos that erupted when some Republicans tried to force a roll call vote to change the rules governing the convention.

O’Donnell flashed her press badge to security at the RNC as she was reporting, but she was visibly flustered during the segment, which was broken up with repeated interruptions. Ultimately, O’Donnell cut her segment short, telling Todd that she was being told she and her camera person needed to leave the convention floor.



Later, an MSNBC source chalked the incident up to a misunderstanding. O'Donnell remains on the floor, where she is continuing to report.

At least two other journalists and their crews were also approached by security and asked to leave the convention floor. Chad Pergram, who covers Congress for Fox News, tweeted that he and his camera crew were removed from the convention floor without an explanation. Essex Porter, an anchor from KIRO7, a local TV station based out of Seattle, Washington, recorded his removal from the convention floor on Facebook Live.