President Trump was among the many voices weighing in on social media about NBC’s decision to fire Matt Lauer from the Today show.
President Trump and Megyn Kelly were among the many voices weighing in about NBC’s decision to fire Matt Lauer.
NBC News chairman Andy Lack announced Lauer’s termination in a memo to staff that was read at the top of Wednesday’s Today show, citing «detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace» for the reason behind his firing.
«This one does hit close to home,» Megyn Kelly said about Lauer’s firing during Wednesday’s Megyn Kelly Today . «I’ve known Matt for a long time, and he has been a friend, and kind, and supportive to me in my transition to NBC. And I see the anguish on my colleagues’ faces. But when this happens, we don’t see the pain on the faces of those who found the courage to come forward.»
Meanwhile, President Trump linked Lauer’s firing to his ongoing feud with «fake news» networks, using the news to bash several of his adversaries.
«Wow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for ‘inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace,'» the president tweeted . Trump, who has also made headlines about sexual harassment recently for reportedly questioning the Access Hollywood tape of him making vulgar comments about women, continued calling for investigations into NBC.
«But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News. Check out (NBC News president) Andy Lack’s past!»
The president followed with another tweet criticizing MSNBC president Phil Griffin and Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough, calling them «Fake News practitioners.»
Rose McGowan also reacted on Twitter, writing, «Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, Matt Lauer.»
More: Matt Lauer fired from NBC for ‘inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace’
Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb reacted with statements on the Today show, with Guthrie saying she’s «heartbroken» by the news.
«He is my dear, dear friend and my partner, and he is beloved by many, many people here,» Guthrie said. «And, I’m heartbroken for the brave colleague who came forward to tell her story and any other women who have their own stories to tell.»
«We are grappling with a dilemma that so many people have faced these past few weeks,» she continued. «How do you reconcile your love for someone with the revelation that they have behaved badly? I don’t know the answer for that. But I do know the reckoning that so many organizations have been going through is important, it’s long overdue and it must resolve in workplaces where all women, and all people, feel respected.»
«This is a very tough morning for both of us,» Kotb said. «I’ve known Matt for 15 years, and I’ve love him as a friend and as a colleague. And like you were saying, Savannah, it’s hard to reconcile what we are hearing with the man that we know, who walks in this building every single day. We woke up to this news pre-dawn, and we’re trying to process it and make sense of it, and it’ll take some time.»
Other Hollywood names voiced their opinions on Lauer’s firing, including Corey Feldman, who pointed to his heated interview with Lauer on the Today show last month, in which the host accused Feldman of not being forthcoming with his own experiences with sexual misconduct in Hollywood.
«HMMMMM INTERESTING….. THIS MIGHT EXPLAIN THE HOSTILE INTERVIEW WHILE I WAS TRYING 2 EXPOSE THE #TRUTH…. EH MATT?» Feldman tweeted.
Meanwhile, several media reporters claimed that they’d heard about the allegations against Lauer, and that the New York Times and Variety were working on their own exposés.
«I, and other reporters, have been aware of several women who have come forward privately in the past few months…even before Weinstein,» tweeted journalist Yashar Ali. «They weren’t willing to go public though…they were terrified of Matt.»
