On Wednesday, the hosts of NBC’s Today cheered the network’s decision to hire former White House chef – and husband of left-wing MSNBC host AlexWagner – Sam Kass. Co-host Savannah Guthrie gushed: “...we’ve got an exciting announcement. You guys remember Sam Kass, of course he’s the former assistant White House chef, executive director of the First Lady's Let's Move campaign, and nutrition advisor to the President....He is becoming an NBC News senior food analyst.”
Matt Lauer
By Kyle Drennen | July 28, 2015 | 4:00 PM EDT
Appearing on NBC’s Late Night on Monday – aired early Tuesday morning – Today co-host Matt Lauer assessed the state of the Republican presidential race: “Donald Trump is getting all the attention right now on the Republican side....This guy is great. He's a showman. He’s got a lot of P.T. Barnum in him and he knows how to promote things....it's hard for the other candidates to get any attention whatsoever, because Donald is, I think some would say, sucking the oxygen out of the room.”
By Kyle Drennen | July 28, 2015 | 1:05 PM EDT
In an exclusive live interview with Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee on Tuesday’s NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer scolded the former Arkansas governor for his strong criticism of President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran: “It seems to me the irony here is you’re taking a pro-Israel stance, but in explaining that stance, you have offended people in Israel and Jews all around the world.”
By Kyle Drennen | July 24, 2015 | 4:49 PM EDT
While Matt Lauer pressed Secretary of State John Kerry on the Iran nuclear deal during an interview on Friday’s NBC Today, the co-host did allow Kerry to continue to make false claims about the policy without challenge.
By Kyle Drennen | July 24, 2015 | 11:33 AM EDT
In a live interview with Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday’s NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer lobbed a softball about the news that the Justice Department was considering launching a criminal investigation into Hillary Clinton’s e-mail scandal: “As you’ve heard, two inspectors general have called for a criminal investigation into her use of that private e-mail server for sensitive information. As someone who occupies the job and knows what information is handled by someone in your position, is this politics or is she in real trouble?”
By Kyle Drennen | July 21, 2015 | 11:47 AM EDT
During a round-up of political news on Tuesday’s NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer promoted the 2016 Democratic front-runner taking to social media to answer softball questions: “Hillary Clinton hosted her first Facebook chat as a presidential candidate on Monday. It was followed by thousands, with topics ranging from her plans to reform Wall Street to Libya to business attire for women. The former Secretary of State saying, ‘I never met a pantsuit I didn't love.’”
By Kyle Drennen | July 20, 2015 | 11:42 AM EDT
On Monday, hosts and reporters on the NBC, ABC, and CBS morning shows could hardly contain their excitement as they cheered an “historic new era” in relations between the United States and Cuba. On NBC’s Today, co-host Matt Lauer touted: “Overnight, for the first time in five decades, full diplomatic ties were officially restored. That paves the way for the reopening of embassies in Washington and Havana.”
By Kyle Drennen | July 10, 2015 | 12:16 PM EDT
During an exclusive interview with South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley on Friday’s NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer suggested the Republican could suffer violence for leading the effort to remove the Confederate flag from the grounds of the state capitol: “You have faced relentless criticism over the last four or five weeks, Governor....they've promised political retribution. Some have even promised personal retribution....are you concerned for your personal safety?”
By Kyle Drennen | July 8, 2015 | 12:16 PM EDT
Appearing on Wednesday’s NBC Today, Meet the Press host Chuck Todd delighted in Hillary Clinton refusing to admit any wrongdoing in the State Department e-mail scandal: “She showed no remorse, no regret....Very defiant. Reminded me of the old days. She almost – it’s almost as if she's enjoying the House Republicans attacking her.”
By Kyle Drennen | July 8, 2015 | 10:54 AM EDT
Touting Hillary Clinton’s first national television interview since launching her presidential campaign, Matt Lauer began Wednesday’s NBC Today by proclaiming: “Clinton gets candid. Hillary Clinton opens up in her first national interview of the presidential race. On the e-mail scandal...Suggestions that she's not trustworthy...And what she thinks of Donald Trump.”
By Kyle Drennen | July 1, 2015 | 12:27 PM EDT
In an exclusive interview with newly announced Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie aired on Wednesday’s Today, co-host Matt Lauer used attacks from left-wing detractors to grill the New Jersey governor: “For all your talk about compromise, though, you have a mixed bag of reaction in this state. You know, I drove into your event today and I drove past a pretty hefty group of protesters. I think a lot of them were teachers, and they were holding up signs that said ‘Liar’ and ‘Bully.’”
By Curtis Houck | June 30, 2015 | 9:45 PM EDT
The “big three” of ABC, CBS, and NBC were out in full force on Tuesday night following New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie’s 2016 presidential announcement to attack Christie over his temper and use the Bridgegate scandal to argue that it’s “fed his image as bully” leading to “a long road ahead” for the nomination. CBS and NBC also earned the distinction of featuring a clip of Christie from October when he engaged a heckler to further the illustrate his temper without providing any context whatsoever.