Eager to keep up its defense of left-wing comedian Michelle Wolf’s offensive and widely-condemned performance at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, on Tuesday, NBC’s Today show devoted another full report to the comic and touted how “Wolf’s star supporters are stepping forward.”
“Now to the controversy over Michelle Wolf’s monologue at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. This morning, we’re hearing from the comedian herself....Looks like everyone wants to get a piece of this story,” co-host Savannah Guthrie proclaimed. Correspondent Willie Geist chimed in: “Yeah, another day, this story.”
He then declared: “In a new interview with NPR, Wolf says she does not regret a single word she said on Saturday night. And now, facing backlash from the White House and from some members of the press, Wolf’s star supporters are stepping forward.” Geist gushed over fellow liberal entertainers rushing to her defense: “Overnight, Michelle Wolf getting backup from some of comedy’s biggest names.”
Clips ran of network late night hosts praising Wolf:
SETH MEYERS: She is filthy and she is mean, which is what we love about her. Because those are wonderful qualities for comedians and terrible qualities for free world leaders.
JIMMY FALLON [IN MOCK TRUMP VOICE]: Nobody makes a mockery of my staff except me, and that’s where I draw the line.
STEPHEN COLBERT: Being mad at her for doing her job is like accusing the valet of briefly stealing your car.
Geist noted: “The late night support coming in after her now-infamous White House Correspondents’ Dinner routine.”
The reporter highlighted: “Wolf telling NPR she has no regrets.” A soundbite followed of Wolf telling Fresh Air host Terry Gross on Monday: “I wouldn’t change a single word I said. I’m very happy with what I said. And I’m glad I stuck to my guns.”
Later, Geist referred to past controversial performances from other comedians at the dinner and argued: “So as you can see there, guys, certainly not the first time there’s been controversy at a White House Correspondents’ Dinner about what a comedian has said, speaking truth to the person sitting right there...” Almost as an afterthought, he added: “...or could be perceived as insulting the person sitting there.”
On Monday, the morning show tried to shift attention away from Wolf’s nasty attacks by claiming: “The President has said much worse.”
Geist also revealed Wolf’s NBC connection: “Interesting that Michelle Wolf started as a writer for Seth Meyers, and he was one of the first out to support her.”
Wrapping up the segment, he observed that both sides “got what they wanted” out of the controversy:
But I think, we were just talking about this, this is one of those ugly moments where everybody kind of got what they wanted out of it. You know, the White House has its talking point to rail against Michelle Wolf, she now is well known and famous and comedians are rallying behind her.
ABC’s Good Morning America also offered a full report on Wolf Tuesday morning, though that story focused solely on her comments in the NPR interview and did not promote others defending her. “She’s not apologizing and doesn’t have any regrets” correspondent Adrienne Bankert announced.
At the end of the segment, co-host Michael Strahan excused Wolf’s behavior: “And I’ve been to that dinner before and some of these jobs are very cutting. And Michelle Wolf, that’s what she does.” However, fellow co-host George Stephanopoulos fretted: “It’s been kind of an arms race for the last several years, escalating and escalating and escalating.”
Unlike NBC and ABC, CBS This Morning decided it was time to move on to more substantive matters, only mentioning Wolf’s interview for a few seconds during the show’s Eye Opener montage. Much of the broadcast was instead devoted to serious foreign policy matters like the Iran nuclear deal and Korean peace negotiations.
Here is a full transcript of Geist’s May 1 report on the Today show:
7:34 AM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Now to the controversy over Michelle Wolf’s monologue at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. This morning, we’re hearing from the comedian herself and Willie’s here with that. Looks like everyone wants to get a piece of this story.
WILLIE GEIST: Yeah, another day, this story. Good morning, guys. In a new interview with NPR, Wolf says she does not regret a single word she said on Saturday night. And now, facing backlash from the White House and from some members of the press, Wolf’s star supporters are stepping forward.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: “Wouldn’t Change A Single Word”; Comedian Defends Controversial Speech]
Overnight, Michelle Wolf getting backup from some of comedy’s biggest names.
SETH MEYERS: She is filthy and she is mean, which is what we love about her. Because those are wonderful qualities for comedians and terrible qualities for free world leaders.
JIMMY FALLON [IN MOCK TRUMP VOICE]: Nobody makes a mockery of my staff except me, and that’s where I draw the line.
STEPHEN COLBERT: Being mad at her for doing her job is like accusing the valet of briefly stealing your car.
GEIST: The late night support coming in after her now-infamous White House Correspondents’ Dinner routine.
MICHELLE WOLF: You should have done more research before you got me to do this.
GEIST: And Wolf telling NPR she has no regrets.
WOLF: I wouldn’t change a single word I said. I’m very happy with what I said. And I’m glad I stuck to my guns.
GEIST: The controversial set going into issues like abortion and sexual harassment, but it’s her jokes about White House Press Secretary Sanders, sitting just feet away, that are getting the most attention.
WOLF: Like, she burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smokey eye. I have to say, I’m a little star struck. I love you as Aunt Lydia in The Handmaid’s Tale.
GEIST: Critics argue Wolf attacked the Press Secretary’s appearance, but the comedian insists she attacked Sanders for lying.
WOLF: I think they didn’t paid attention to what was said.
GEIST: The 32-year-old Wolf also lashing out at the media.
WOLF: Well, I think they’re kind of just trying to distract from the ending, where I pointed out that they’re all profiting off of Trump, and helped create this monster.
GEIST: The President of the White House Correspondents’ Association joining in the criticism, saying Wolf’s routine was “not in the spirit” of the organization’s mission.
STEPHEN COLBERT [2006]: I believe in America.
GEIST: Something it did not do after Stephen Colbert’s takedown of President George W. Bush.
COLBERT: I stand by this man because he stands for things, Not only for things, he stands on things. Things like aircraft carriers, and rubble, and recently-flooded city squares.
GEIST: But the head of the group did apologize to Bill Clinton after shock jock Don Imus...
DON IMUS [1996]: This could actually be fun.
GEIST: ...joked about the President’s reported infidelity.
IMUS: We all heard the President, in his obvious excitement, holler, “Go, baby!” I remember commenting at the time, I bet that’s not the first time he’s said that.
GEIST: Amid all the uproar, Wolf says she knew her act wasn’t going over well in the room.
WOLF: I knew what I was doing going in. I wanted to cater to the outside audience and not betray my brand of comedy.
GEIST: So as you can see there, guys, certainly not the first time there’s been controversy at a White House Correspondents’ Dinner about what a comedian has said, speaking truth to the person sitting right there, or could be perceived as insulting the person sitting there.
Interesting that Michelle Wolf started as a writer for Seth Meyers, and he was one of the first out to support her. But I think, we were just talking about this, this is one of those ugly moments where everybody kind of got what they wanted out of it. You know, the White House has its talking point to rail against Michelle Wolf, she now is well known and famous and comedians are rallying behind her.
GUTHRIE: Yeah, it’s definitely one of those. Willie, thank you very much.
