During a panel discussion on Wednesday's NBC Today, attorney Star Jones and the network's chief medical editor Nancy Snyderman hyperventilated over Britain's Prince Harry revealing in interviews that he killed Taliban fighters during combat in Afghanistan. Jones fretted: "Why do you need to antagonize the Taliban?" [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]
Snyderman chimed in: "I thought he jumped the shark when he was shown playing video games and then it was, 'Oh my God, we killed people.'" Co-host Matt Lauer sparked the exchange by wondering: "He talks about his missions, the missions he went on where he was fired upon by the Taliban and returned fire, killing some members of the Taliban. And he takes it kind of matter-of-factly....What do you think about it? Is it okay?"
In part, the Prince told reporters: "Yes, we fire when we have to, take a life to save a life, but essentially we're more of a deterrent than anything else. If there's people trying to do bad stuff to our guys, then we'll take them out of the game, I suppose."
On the NBC panel, only advertising executive Donny Deutsch expressed appreciation for Harry serving his country: "I am so pleasantly surprised that a royal is actually in real duty....if he's putting his life on the line, he can do whatever he wants. And I was pleasantly surprised that these guys actually do that."
Here is a full transcript of the January 23 exchange:
8:25AM ET
MATT LAUER: Prince Harry speaking out in some interviews from Afghanistan recorded before he just left the country after a tour of duty there. He talks about his missions, the missions he went on where he was fired upon by the Taliban and returned fire, killing some members of the Taliban. And he takes it kind of matter-of-factly. I know you've heard the interviews. What do you think about it? Is it okay?
STAR JONES: Matt, I was really confused as to why the Palace would permit the Prince to give such an interview. Why do you need to antagonize the Taliban?
NANCY SNYDERMAN: Well, I'm sort of – I thought he jumped the shark when he was shown playing video games...
JONES: Yes.
SNYDERMAN: ...and then it was, "Oh my God, we killed people."
DONNY DEUTSCH: I gotta tell you guys, I am so pleasantly surprised that a royal is actually in real duty.
SNYDERMAN: But they do that. They do that.
DEUTSCH: I was shocked. By the way, if he's putting his life on the line, he can do whatever he wants. And I was pleasantly surprised that these guys actually do that.
SNYDERMAN: What do you think?
LAUER: I think Star, Donny, Dr. Nancy, thank you very much.
