NRB spokesman Dan Darling fired after pro-vaccine statements on ‘Morning Joe’
(RNS) — The spokesman for a major evangelical nonprofit was fired for promoting vaccines on the MSNBC “Morning Joe” cable news show, Religion News Service has learned.
Daniel Darling, senior vice president of communications for the National Religious Broadcasters, was fired Friday (Aug. 27) after refusing to admit his pro-vaccine statements were mistaken, according to a source authorized to speak for Darling.
His firing comes at a time when Americans face a new surge of COVID-19 infections due to the highly contagious Delta variant even as protesters and politicians resist mask mandates or other preventive measures.
During a broadcast on Aug. 2, Darling, an evangelical pastor and author, told host Joe Scarborough about how his faith motivated him to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Darling described the vaccines as an amazing feat of discovery by scientists, some of whom share his Christian faith.
Darling said he was proud to be vaccinated.
“I believe in this vaccine because I don’t want to see anyone else die of COVID. Our family has lost too many close friends and relatives to COVID, including an uncle, a beloved church member and our piano teacher,” Darling told Scarborough.
He expressed similar views in a recent USA Today opinion piece.
Earlier this week, leaders at NRB, an international association of Christian communicators with 1,100 member organizations, told Darling his statements violated the organization’s policy of remaining neutral about COVID-19 vaccines. According to the source, Darling was given two options — sign a statement admitting he had been insubordinate or be fired.
When he refused to sign a statement, Darling was fired and given no severance, the source told RNS.
Troy Miller, CEO of NRB, confirmed Darling was no longer with the organization. He did not respond to a question about the role Darling’s statements about vaccines played in his departure.
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Statement from @dandarling on his firing today. pic.twitter.com/3ADhEE4EtG
— Ruth Graham (@publicroad) August 27, 2021
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This is so depressing:
NRB spokesman Dan Darling fired after pro-vaccine statements on 'Morning Joe' https://t.co/pp6EbQb6uJ
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) August 28, 2021The @NRBassociation firing of @dandarling is really the single best example of how so much of the anti-censorship, pro-free speech stuff that animates folks around here is really just tribal b.s.
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) August 27, 2021
Awkward https://t.co/VwVL1jN85h
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) August 27, 2021
The interview with @JoeNBC and @dandarling was a great interview. For @NRBassociation to fire Dan for reasonable advocacy of vaccinations is a pretty damning indictment on the organization.
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) August 27, 2021
This is insanity. @dandarling will have a bright future elsewhere. But this is inexcusable. https://t.co/n0WRiqCL3Z
— Russell Moore (@drmoore) August 27, 2021
Words fail. Dan was abruptly fired by a large Evangelical ministry for going on television and sharing why he got vaccinated in the midst of a deadly pandemic. 1200 people (overwhelmingly unvaccinated) are dying per day. Urging vaccination is the *Christian* thing to do. https://t.co/yeOWBoLjK9
— David French (@DavidAFrench) August 27, 2021
This is an actual tweet from the organization that fired @dandarling for going on television and telling people why he got the COVID vaccine. Walk your talk @NRBassociation https://t.co/fGpzhOd3d3
— David French (@DavidAFrench) August 27, 2021
If you said an organization fired someone for giving even-handed, pastoral advice on vaccines, I would have guessed it would be some secular outfit.
I never would’ve thought @NRBassociation would go that route. @dandarling’s voice is needed right nowhttps://t.co/5oUkvaC44O
— Brent Leatherwood (@LeatherwoodTN) August 27, 2021
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