The fact is that in terms of the 1991 Constitution of Ukraine the Crimea had their own Parliament that deals with the legislation of all internal matters of the Crimea. That at the time was considered as necessary - since 85% of the Crimean Population were ethnic Russians and 10% Tartars - a leftover after the Tartar population of 3 million Tartars were deported by Stalin to Siberia where the vast majority died in slave camps and after Stalin's death only 200 000 returned to the Crimes in 1954-55. 5% of the Crimea population is from Ukraine descent.
With the coup in 2014 in Ukraine - the Ukraine constitution was thrown out and the Crimea Parliament with it. However, the fear was that the civil war started as a result of the coup - organized and funded by the Obama Administration who even determined who should be the interim president - the democratically elected Crimea Parliament passed a resolution to the effect that the Crimea should become part of the Russian Federation - subject to a referendum on the issue be held. Over 94% of the participating voters voted to become part of the Russian Federation.
That did not fit in with the ideas of NATO members who were eyeing the naval facilities of the Russian Fleet in the Crimea and the obvious road to take by them and the USA Government tried to discredit the referendum. In two subsequent surveys one by opinion pollsters in the USA and another by a German company - it was found that 96% of the voters wanted to have nothing to do with the Ukraine and that even included a number of Ukraine Speakers living in the Crimea. This finding by the NBC reporter is thus nothing new. However, that reporter is on thin ground - if he is not killed by the Ukrainians, corruption in the USA is endemic with vast implications and he could be killed in a Clinton Suicide episode and method. .