During Friday’s Today show, co-host Savannah Guthrie pointed out that the hearing with Christine Blasey Ford and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was “playing out in the context of the #MeToo movement” and asked: “...how are people, you know, folks out there watching what’s happening on Capitol Hill?” Instead of simply talking to “folks,” in the report that followed, correspondent Stephanie Gosk lined up a series of left-wing activists to condemn Kavanaugh.
“You know, when the book is written about the #MeToo movement, this confirmation will get its own long chapter. Many asking whether Thursday was an example of progress or dramatic display of how little things have changed,” Gosk proclaimed. Having set the tone for the segment, Gosk continued: “Dr. Christine Blasey Ford now standing at the crossroads of American politics and the #MeToo movement....Some hailing her as a hero after delivering four hours of unwavering testimony...”
After airing a single, seconds-long soundbite of Kavanaugh denying the allegations, Gosk touted: “Many supporting Ford, both online, with hashtags like #ibelievechristineblaseyford and on the streets, with protests erupting in cities across the country.” A clip followed of liberal protesters chanting: “I believe!”
#MeToo movement founder Tarana Burke appeared and declared: “This hearing is exactly what the #MeToo movement is about. It has been twisted and turned and misrepresented as something about taking down powerful men. But it has nothing to do with that.”
Gosk highlighted: “Another prominent figure of the movement, actress Alyssa Milano was also in the room.” Milano, a guest of Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, remarked: “It’s a moment in history that I couldn’t miss.”
Moving beyond the hearing itself, the reporter then teed up clips of women revealing their own experiences of sexual assault, noting: “Ford’s words inspired others to come forward with their own stories.”
One instance included was an activist confronting Republican Senator Lindsey Graham on Capitol Hill:
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN [PROTESTER]: Senator Graham, I was raped 13 years ago. I don’t remember the exact date.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM: I’m so sorry.
WOMAN: You’re so sorry, but do you believe me?
GRAHAM: You need to go to the cops.
Gosk claimed: “The encounter capturing how personal this high-stakes moment is for so many.” She never explained what bearing those traumatic personal stories had on actually determining the veracity of the allegations against Kavanaugh.
The entire point of the segment seemed to simply be about tarnishing Kavanaugh as a perpetrator of sexual assault and worrying about any support for him signifying a setback for the #MeToo movement.
Here is a full transcript of the September 28 report:
7:34 AM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Of course, all of this is playing out in the context of the #MeToo movement. So with that in mind, we wondered, how are people, you know, folks out there watching what’s happening on Capitol Hill? NBC’s Stephanie Gosk took a look at that for us. Hi, Steph, good morning.
STEPHANIE GOSK: Hi Savannah and Craig, good morning to you guys. You know, when the book is written about the #MeToo movement, this confirmation will get its own long chapter. Many asking whether Thursday was an example of progress or dramatic display of how little things have changed.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: #MeToo on Capitol Hill; Movement Takes Center Stage at Historic Hearing]
Dr. Christine Blasey Ford now standing at the crossroads of American politics and the #MeToo movement.
CHRISTINE BLASEY FORD: It is not my responsibility to determine whether Mr. Kavanaugh deserves to sit on the Supreme Court. My responsibility is to tell you the truth.
GOSK: Some hailing her as a hero after delivering four hours of unwavering testimony, detailing her sexual assault claims against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh vehemently denying Ford’s allegations.
BRETT KAVANAUGH: That’s not who I am. It is not who I was.
GOSK: Many supporting Ford, both online, with hashtags like #ibelievechristineblaseyford and on the streets, with protests erupting in cities across the country.
PROTESTERS [CHANTING]: I believe!
TARANA BURKE [#METOO MOVEMENT FOUNDER]: This hearing is exactly what the #MeToo movement is about. It has been twisted and turned and misrepresented as something about taking down powerful men. But it has nothing to do with that.
GOSK: Another prominent figure of the movement, actress Alyssa Milano was also in the room.
ALYSSA MILANO: It’s a moment in history that I couldn’t miss.
GOSK: Ford’s words inspired others to come forward with their own stories.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN [C-SPAN CALLER]: I’m a 76-year-old woman who was sexually molested in the second grade. This brings back so much pain.
GOSK: Actress Busy Philipps posting this picture of herself on Instagram, with the revealing caption, “This is me at 14. The age I was raped.” Another woman confronting Senator Lindsey Graham outside the hearing.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN [PROTESTER]: Senator Graham, I was raped 13 years ago. I don’t remember the exact date.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM: I’m so sorry.
WOMAN: You’re so sorry, but do you believe me?
GRAHAM: You need to go to the cops.
GOSK: The encounter capturing how personal this high-stakes moment is for so many.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I’ve known a few people that have gone through this, so. And I know the way they’ve responded, so this – I mean, is tough for somebody to go through.
GOSK: The national sexual assault line, otherwise known as RAINN, said it was experiencing extraordinary delays in its chat room and call-in times for people to discuss was happened to them.
GUTHRIE: Because they were getting so many calls.
GOSK: That’s right, triggering these moments that people were reliving from their own lives.
GUTHRIE: It’s a cultural moment, for sure. Stephanie, thank you so much.
