Early Wednesday, NBC News announced that longtime Today co-host Matt Lauer had been fired after the network “received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.” Further, the network said there was reason to believe that it wasn’t an isolated incident. Multiple outlets are reportedly chasing their own Matt Lauer stories, so further revelations are likely. However, the nation’s foremost media critic has weighed in and made blunt reference to other potential scandals waiting at NBC.
“Wow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for “inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace,” President Trump tweeted. “But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News. Check out Andy Lack’s past!”
Wow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for “inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.” But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News. Check out Andy Lack’s past!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2017
Trump followed that tweet featuring a punctuation error with one with a typo — which was deleted and rewritten — which hammers Joe Scarborough for some nebulous offense.
So now that Matt Lauer is gone when will the Fake News practitioners at NBC be terminating the contract of Phil Griffin? And will they terminate low ratings Joe Scarborough based on the “unsolved mystery” that took place in Florida years ago? Investigate!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2017
“So now that Matt Lauer is gone when will the Fake News practitioners at NBC be terminating the contract of Phil Griffin?” Trump asked. “And will they terminate low ratings Joe Scarborough based on the “unsolved mystery” that took place in Florida years ago? Investigate!”
This commentary is particularly odd coming from Trump, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by over a dozen women (and called them liars) and because of of the obvious conflict-of-interest with Trump and the network. NBC broadcasts Access Hollywood, the show on which Trump once bragged about groping women in hot-mic footage he is now reportedly calling into question. The network also aired The Apprentice, a show whose unaired footage is rumored to contain further controversial Trump statements.
In 2015, NBC severed its relationship with Trump and ceased airing the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants after Trump began his presidential campaign by calling Mexican immigrants rapists.