On Friday, NBC Today co-host Matt Lauer provided Yahoo! News anchor Katie Couric a softball platform to promote her new anti-gun documentary: “She’s here to talk about a powerful new documentary called Under the Gun. It examines both sides of the gun safety debate in this country and explores the drastic rise in mass shootings and daily gun violence across the United States.”
Despite claiming the agenda-driven film looked at “both sides,” Couric spent the entire segment predictably pushing for gun control: “I couldn't understand the disconnect, Matt, between the fact that 90% of the public really favors universal background checks....the disconnect between public opinion and our elected officials. And I wanted to really uncover why nothing was happening on this issue.”
Lauer fretted: “And people tend to think of this as an either/or debate. Black and white.” Couric agreed: “Right, your for us or against us.” He then helpfully cited more statistics from the anti-gun lobby: “Yet you do try to examine the middle ground. You talked about 90% of Americans, 74% of members of the NRA are for universal background checks.”
Couric gushed: “I know, wasn’t that shocking?... So I told them, Matt, that if you're on the terror watch list in the country, it's still legal to buy a gun. And they were shocked by that. Not only that, but the NRA only represents 5% of gun owners. So there's this huge silent majority...”
Teeing her up to spout more liberal talking points, Lauer remarked: “There’s a very common expression out there that says the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” Couric eagerly cited the family of one victim of the Aurora, Colorado theater shooting to dismiss the argument:
...one of the first things they asked [their daughter’s boyfriend] is, would it have made a difference if you had, had your gun? And he said, absolutely not. There was so much chaos. They were trapped. More innocent people would have died. And so, you know, this is the argument that's perpetrated by the gun lobby, but most public health experts and gun safety experts say it's just a specious argument.
Couric touted how the family “were gun owners and are gun owners” who “belong to the NRA” but that “their views on guns” have “really evolved” since their daughter’s murder.
Despite automatically rejecting the arguments of gun rights supporters, Lauer and Couric never discussed the fact that more background checks would not have prevented most of the mass shootings in recent years.
Lauer wondered if his former Today co-host had any trouble separating her personal views from the facts while making the slanted film: “We worked together here for ten years. We’ve covered so many of these stories....Was it difficult, in setting out to do this project, to separate what was deeply personal to you from the professional?”
Couric laughably declared: “No, not really. Because, Matt, I went in with an open mind.... I wanted to have an open mind.”
She displayed that “open mind” by talking about gun owners like they were specimens in a lab: “I wanted to understand the psyche of gun owners in this country and what they were afraid of.” Couric then blasted the NRA: “And they're very fearful of confiscation, which has been ginned up by the gun lobby. Because when gun sales go down, the gun lobby has really become a marketing arm for the gun manufacturers. They don't really speak for their members.”
Lauer chimed in: “And by the way, the Supreme Court has already ruled out confiscation. You have a right under the Second Amendment to have a gun for self protection.” Couric replied: “Exactly. But even Justice Scalia said it wasn't unlimited.”
Here is a full transcript of the May 13 segment:
8:33 AM ET
MATT LAUER: Our friend Katie Couric is back in Studio 1A this morning. She’s here to talk about a powerful new documentary called Under the Gun. It examines both sides of the gun safety debate in this country and explores the drastic rise in mass shootings and daily gun violence across the United States. Katie, good morning, nice to see you.
KATIE COURIC: Thank you for having me, Matt.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: “Under the Gun”; Katie Couric on New Documentary]
LAUER: Headlines – there are always headlines about, what do we do about guns? Following mass shootings, following violence in cities like Chicago and other cities. And the frustration a lot of people have is that, that talk and those headlines fade quickly.
COURIC: That's true.
LAUER: Why did you decide to do this now?
COURIC: Well, you know, I couldn't understand the disconnect, Matt, between the fact that 90% of the public really favors universal background checks. After Sandy Hook, everyone thought this was the watershed moment, something would be done. And then when Mansion/Toomey died in the Senate, I couldn't understand the disconnect between public opinion and our elected officials. And I wanted to really uncover why nothing was happening on this issue.
LAUER: And people tend to think of this as an either/or debate. Black and white.
COURIC: Right, your for us or against us.
LAUER: Exactly, which has been said by the head of the NRA. Yet you do try to examine the middle ground. You talked about 90% of Americans, 74% of members of the NRA are for universal background checks.
COURIC: I know, wasn’t that shocking? We talked to members outside their convention in Nashville, and they all said they favor – well, most, I think there was one person who disagreed with that – but they all said they favor universal background checks. So I told them, Matt, that if you're on the terror watch list in the country, it's still legal to buy a gun. And they were shocked by that. Not only that, but the NRA only represents 5% of gun owners. So there's this huge silent majority, and so, I think that's very hopeful because there’s a lot of common ground.
LAUER: You talk about personal stories in this and you tell the story of Lonnie and Sandy Phillips, they lost their daughter, Jesse, in the Aurora theater shooting. What did you learn about them?
COURIC: Oh my gosh, they are such amazing people and I think this film has so much heart. I know you watched it, Matt. Because we do embed with all these families who have lost loved ones. They lost their adorable daughter Jesse, 24 years old, in Aurora, Colorado. And Lonnie and Sandy were gun owners and are gun owners.
LAUER: Right.
COURIC: And they belong to the NRA and they just never thought about this. So their views on guns – they became advocates and really experts – they've really evolved.
LAUER: There’s a very common expression out there that says the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. Yet, they asked their daughter's boyfriend, who was there, if he had, had a gun at the time, would it have made a difference?
COURIC: I thought it was one of the most impactful moments of the film. One of the first things they asked him because he had a concealed carry permit. But because he traveled from Texas to Colorado to visit Jesse –
LAUER: Couldn't fly with it.
COURIC: Yeah, he didn't have his gun. The first – one of the first things they asked is, would it have made a difference if you had, had your gun? And he said, absolutely not. There was so much chaos. They were trapped. More innocent people would have died. And so, you know, this is the argument that's perpetrated by the gun lobby, but most public health experts and gun safety experts say it's just a specious argument.
LAUER: We worked together here for ten years. We’ve covered so many of these stories. I mean, I remember your coverage of Columbine so many years ago.
COURIC: Right.
LAUER: Was it difficult, in setting out to do this project, to separate what was deeply personal to you from the professional?
COURIC: No, not really. Because, Matt, I went in with an open mind. Yes, Columbine was just devastating. Of course, that interview with Matthew Scholes and Craig Scott, I'll never forget it. It was one of the most meaningful conversations I've had in my career because It was so raw. It was the morning after. And I've actually kept up with Craig Scott. I saw him the other day for a glass of wine because he was here in New York. But you know, I really – I wanted to have an open mind. I wanted to understand the psyche of gun owners in this country and what they were afraid of. And they're very fearful of confiscation, which has been ginned up by the gun lobby. Because when gun sales go down, the gun lobby has really become a marketing arm for the gun manufacturers. They don't really speak for their members.
LAUER: And by the way, the Supreme Court has already ruled out confiscation.
COURIC: Yeah, exactly. We –
LAUER: You have a right under the Second Amendment to have a gun for self protection.
COURIC: Exactly. But even Justice Scalia said it wasn't unlimited.
LAUER: Katie, it’s very powerful, I watched it yesterday.
COURIC: Thank you.
LAUER: Congratulations, good work.
COURIC: Thanks so much you for bringing attention to this and having me on the show, Matt.
LAUER: Absolutely. Under the Gun airs May 15th on EPIX.
