On Saturday, NBC’s Today show and CBS This Morning marveled at left-wing actress Jane Fonda being arrested at a climate change protest on Capitol Hill, hailing her as an “icon” with a “long history of political activism.” Fonda’s extremist anti-American views never came up in the adoring coverage.
“Icon under arrest. Fifty years after becoming a symbol of political protest, why Jane Fonda was taken into custody once again,” co-host Peter Alexander announced at the top of the Saturday Today show. Minutes later, he again teased the story: “Coming up right here, five decades after her first political protest, Jane Fonda arrested once again.”
During the Pop Start segment later in the 7:00 a.m. ET hour, co-host Dylan Dreyer reported:
And let’s start with Jane Fonda. The 81-year-old actor and activist was among 16 people arrested in Washington, D.C. on Friday while protesting climate change. The Academy Award winner says she moved to D.C. temporarily to dedicate her time to the issue....On her website, Fonda talks about being inspired by Greta Thunberg and the youth climate strikes, adding that she’ll be leading weekly demonstrations every Friday through January on Capitol Hill.
Fellow co-host Sheinelle Jones uttered the word “wow” four times during the discussion.
Dreyer added: “Fonda, who has a long history of political activism, has dubbed this ‘Fire Drill Fridays.’” The host gushed: “She’s still keeping busy, 81 years old.” Jones responded: “Right? She certainly doesn’t have to.” Alexander chimed in: “Yeah, lending her celebrity to the cause. That’s great.”
On CBS This Morning: Saturday, co-host Michelle Miller proclaimed: “Oscar winning actress and long-time activist Jane Fonda is hoping her latest role will make a lasting impression. Fonda was one of 16 people arrested outside the U.S. Capitol Friday while peacefully protesting climate change.”
Miller touted Fonda’s promise to “show up at the weekly Friday protest for the rest of the year” and her “calling the planet’s rising temperature, quote, ‘A collective crisis that demands collective action.’”
It was on CBS This Morning in December of 2015 that Fonda defended the infamous footage of herself posing on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun during her trip to the war-torn country. That offensive anti-American display was ignored on Saturday as the journalists celebrated her history of far-left political activism.
Here is a transcript of the October 12 coverage on NBC’s Today show:
7:47 ET AM
ALEXANDER: Alright, this Saturday morning, Dylan is here with a little bit of Pop Start.
DYLAN DREYER: Yes, I am. So much to get to. And let’s start with Jane Fonda. The 81-year-old actor and activist was among 16 people arrested in Washington, D.C. on Friday while protesting climate change. The Academy Award winner says she moved to D.C. temporarily to dedicate her time to the issue. Originally, she asked for a year off from her Netflix show, Grace and Frankie, but was only able to get four months.
SHEINELLE JONES: Wow.
DREYER: On her website, Fonda talks about being inspired by Greta Thunberg and the youth climate strikes, adding that she’ll be leading weekly demonstrations every Friday through January on Capitol Hill.
JONES: Wow.
DREYER: Fonda, who has a long history of political activism, has dubbed this “Fire Drill Fridays.”
JONES: Wow.
DREYER: She’s still keeping busy, 81 years old.
JONES: Right? She certainly doesn’t have to.
ALEXANDER: Yeah, lending her celebrity to the cause. That’s great.
JONES: Wow.
