On Friday, Today show co-hosts Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie made it clear to viewers that they were ready for more Kennedys in Washington. Teasing an exclusive interview with former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy and her son Jack Schlossberg, Lauer proclaimed: “Caroline Kennedy returns to the states, set to honor former President Obama with a John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. She’ll be here along with her son Jack, his first live sit-down ever. So what’s next for her and does he have a future in politics?”
Sitting down with the pair in the 7:30 a.m. ET hour, Lauer laid out Schlossberg’s resume: “You’re 22...24, excuse me. Graduated from Yale....About to go to law school at Harvard....People are going to get to know you now. You studied your grandfather [John F. Kennedy] and his legacy quite a bit. What did you learn by looking back at his life and his career?”
Guthrie turned to Kennedy: “Ambassador, when you look around today, do you still think politics is a noble calling? And also, do you think it will still attract people of worth? People that you would – the kind of caliber that you would want to serve in public office?”
The daughter of President Kennedy wasn’t subtle in hinting at what kind people she was hoping would run for office someday:
Absolutely, I think it’s a noble calling. I have great respect for people who really dedicate themselves to public service....I think President Obama really brought in a new generation, just like President Kennedy did....I think that the generation that President Obama brought into public life, my children among them, are going to go on to do great things just like that.
Guthrie gushed: “That’s a good segue. A real good segue.” Lauer stopped being coy, asking Schlossberg: “Would you like to see your mom run for elected office?” After he deflected the question, Guthrie went to Kennedy: “Okay, and Ambassador Kennedy, would you like to see your son, Jack, get into the family business?” She also deflected.
Laughing, Guthrie remarked: “Okay, I would like the record to reflect that neither of you answered the question, so you’re ready for politics.”
Lauer wondered: “Do you feel pressure, do you get the questions, Jack? I mean, you know, everybody expects you to take a certain path. Do you feel the pressure on your shoulders?” Schlossberg replied: “Well, I mean, I’m inspired by my family’s legacy of public service. It’s something that is – I’m very proud of. But I’m still trying to make my own way, figure things out, and so, stay tuned. I don't know what I'm going to do.”
In addition to pressing their guests on their political ambitions, Lauer and Guthrie also used the lengthy segment to promote Sunday’s Profile in Courage Award ceremony set to air live on MSNBC (hosted by none other than Obama and Kennedy fanboy Chris Matthews).
Guthrie invited them to hail the supposed “political courage” that earned Barack Obama the prize: “And President Obama, of course, is the recipient this year. Did you identify certain instances where you said, ‘Okay, that was an act of political courage, that he went out on a limb there and he didn’t have to’?”
Kennedy offered effusive praise: “Well, Jack was on the committee that chose President Obama. I was in Japan. But I’m thrilled with the choice, and I think there are many kinds of courage, and he demonstrated more than one of those.”
Schlossberg chimed in by applauding the liberal agenda items the former president shoved through while in office:
Well, I mean, in 2008 I was inspired by President Obama’s vision for America and all the promises that he laid out for our country. And this award really recognizes that he made tough choices over the last eight years to execute on that vision, to give people health care, to get serious about climate change, and to reach out to international partners and really improve America’s standing in the world. And that takes political courage. And I think we’re seeing today that it’s pretty easy to criticize without offering solution and President Obama did not do that. He had the courage to govern responsibly.
The NBC News “journalists” didn’t bother to challenge the possible future Democratic candidate on any of his glowing assertion’s about Obama’s questionable and controversial record.
Here is a full transcript of the May 5 segment:
7:00 AM ET TEASE:
MATT LAUER: Today Exclusive. Fresh from her stint as Ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy returns to the states, set to honor former President Obama with a John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. She’ll be here along with her son Jack, his first live sit-down ever. So what’s next for her and does he have a future in politics?
7:40 AM ET SEGMENT:
MATT LAUER: The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award was created back in 1989 to honor the legacy, his legacy, and to celebrate people who show the political courage that he admired most.
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Well, this weekend as part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of his birth, his daughter, former Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy, and her son Jack Schlossberg, will present this year’s award. And it’s going to former President Barack Obama.
LAUER: And they are with us now exclusively. Ambassador Kennedy, Jack, it’s good to see you guys again. Good morning.
CAROLINE KENNEDY: Good morning.
JACK SCHLOSSBERG: Good morning.
LAUER: You were here not long ago and we talked about the times we’re living in and the dysfunction in Washington and in politics in general. I was wondering, is it harder these days to find political acts of courage, or do political acts of courage jump out more and stand out more amidst this?
KENNEDY: Well, that’s a good question. I think that really this award is about encouraging people to both require it in our public officials and look for ways that we can be more courageous in our own lives. So – all of us. Because I think that doing what’s right is something that, you know, we need a lot more of.
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: And President Obama, of course, is the recipient this year. Did you identify certain instances where you said, “Okay, that was an act of political courage, that he went out on a limb there and he didn’t have to”?
KENNEDY: Well, Jack was on the committee that chose President Obama. I was in Japan. But I’m thrilled with the choice, and I think there are many kinds of courage, and he demonstrated more than one of those. And I think that certainly –
SCHLOSSBERG: Right. Well, I mean, in 2008 I was inspired by President Obama’s vision for America and all the promises that he laid out for our country. And this award really recognizes that he made tough choices over the last eight years to execute on that vision, to give people health care, to get serious about climate change, and to reach out to international partners and really improve America’s standing in the world. And that takes political courage. And I think we’re seeing today that it’s pretty easy to criticize without offering solution and President Obama did not do that. He had the courage to govern responsibly.
LAUER: You’re 22, right?
SCHLOSSBERG: 24.
LAUER: 24, excuse me. Graduated from Yale?
SCHLOSSBERG: I did, by the skin of my teeth.
[LAUGHTER]
LAUER: About to go to law school at Harvard?
SCHLOSSBERG: Yes.
LAUER: People are going to get to know you now. You studied your grandfather and his legacy quite a bit. What did you learn by looking back at his life and his career?
SCHLOSSBERG: Well, my favorite speech of his is his speech that he gave at Rice University explaining to America why we should go to the moon. And in that speech he said that great challenges are actually great opportunities. And so I think that that’s a really important thing to remember today when – for my generation – when it seems like things couldn’t be any worse, we’re going to inherit a world that has a lot of unsolved problems, I think it’s important to remember that those are opportunities and that we can rise to the occasion if we choose good leadership.
GUTHRIE: Ambassador, when you look around today, do you still think politics is a noble calling? And also, do you think it will still attract people of worth? People that you would – the kind of caliber that you would want to serve in public office?
KENNEDY: Absolutely, I think it’s a noble calling. I have great respect for people who really dedicate themselves to public service, and I think that we’re seeing now how important it is. More and more young people are willing to do community service, but they don’t necessarily see politics as the way to solve problems. But I think President Obama really brought in a new generation, just like President Kennedy did. And certainly the generation that was inspired by my father transformed this country – civil rights, the Peace Corps, space, and I think that the generation that President Obama brought into public life, my children among them, are going to go on to do great things just like that.
GUTHRIE: That’s a good segue. A real good segue.
LAUER: Jack, you know the look your mom can give sometimes? Right? As a kid you know that right? When I’ve asked her a certain question in the past, she’s given me that look. Alright?
SCHLOSSBERG: You haven’t even seen the look.
LAUER: I haven’t? So let me try it differently. Would you like to see your mom run for elected office?
SCHLOSSBERG: I will support my mother in anything she does. I love her so much. But that’s her decision and I’ll leave it at that.
GUTHRIE: Okay, and Ambassador Kennedy, would you like to see your son, Jack, get into the family business?
KENNEDY: I love my son Jack and I will support whatever decision he makes.
[LAUGHTER]
GUTHRIE: Okay, I would like the record to reflect that neither of you answered the question, so you’re ready for politics.
LAUER: Do you feel pressure, do you get the questions, Jack? I mean, you know, everybody expects you to take a certain path. Do you feel the pressure on your shoulders?
SCHLOSSBERG: Well, I mean, I’m inspired by my family’s legacy of public service. It’s something that is – I’m very proud of. But I’m still trying to make my own way, figure things out, and so, stay tuned. I don't know what I'm going to do.
LAUER: Courage takes many different forms. So I want to talk about a form of courage, and I want to put an image up on the screen, if I can.
[ON-SCREEN PICTURE OF CAROLINE KENNEDY IN A DRESS AT MET GALA]
That is a bold move, Ambassador Kennedy –
GUTHRIE: At the Met Gala.
LAUER: From the Met Gala this Monday night. You looked great.
KENNEDY: Well, thank you.
LAUER: Did it take a little bit of convincing?
KENNEDY: I had to convince everyone else. But you know what? It’s really interesting, because the person who the exhibit is honoring is actually also somebody who was willing to go against the popular grain and do what she thought was right and courageous. So I think that we can look for, you know, great individuals with the courage to, you know, do what they think is right, and you know, right there. What can I say?
GUTHRIE: We should say the event celebrated avaunt guard fashion. Now, Jack, your outfit wasn’t that courageous, but you looked very good.
SCHLOSSBERG: Thank you.
LAUER: Guys, it’s nice to have you here. Good luck on Sunday when you hand out the Profile in Courage Award. And we’ll all be thinking later in the month, when we mark the anniversary of what would be – or have been your dad’s 100th birthday. Thanks again.
GUTHRIE: Thank you.
SCHLOSSBERG: Thank you.
KENNEDY: Thank you.
LAUER: Appreciate it. We should mention, MSNBC will have special coverage of the Profile in Courage Award ceremony. That’s Sunday night, starting at eight Eastern Time.
