Matt Lauer attends 2017 Matrix Awards at Sheraton New York Times Square on April 24, 2017 in New York City. (Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)
Nov 29, 2017
Just minutes after news broke on Wednesday that longtime NBC host Matt Lauer has been fired for alleged "inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace," President Donald Trump--who himself has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than a dozen women--seized upon the story on Twitter not to unequivocally denounce sexual harassment, but to call for the firing of "top executives at NBC" for "putting out so much Fake News."
Trump then proceeded to level what many viewed as an accusation against NBC News chairman Andy Lack, urging his more than 43 million Twitter followers to "check out his past."
\u201cWow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for \u201cinappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.\u201d But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News. Check out Andy Lack\u2019s past!\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1511957781
\u201cSo 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 \u201cunsolved mystery\u201d that took place in Florida years ago? Investigate!\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1511964859
According to a memo circulated by Lack, Lauer was terminated following a "detailed complaint from a colleague" that "represented, after serious review, a clear violation of our company's standards."
"While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over 20 years he's been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident," the memo stated.
Lauer's firing is just the latest of a wave that has swept up powerful men in a wide range of professions--including the upper ranks of American politics--and revealed the pervasiveness of sexual harassment in America.
As Common Dreams reported last week, Trump effectively endorsed Alabama GOP Senate nominee Roy Moore, who has been accused of sexually harassing and assaulting teenage girls. "He denies it," Trump said, justifying his support for Moore.
In response to his tweet on the Lauer firing on Wednesday, critics were quick to highlight both the claims that have been leveled against Trump and his own words, as revealed by the "Access Hollywood" tape.
\u201cEveryone say it with me now: Trump has bragged about assaulting women by grabbing their pussy and kissing without consent. https://t.co/7hRREOFpIN\u201d— Emily C. Singer (@Emily C. Singer) 1511958353
\u201cWhat strikes me is a bit different: Credible allegations of sexual harassment get you fired from NBC and CBS, but are not a bar to the presidency. https://t.co/6AiPHEfxn4\u201d— Nicholas Kristof (@Nicholas Kristof) 1511959066
\u201cIt's almost as though the president and his supporters aren't genuinely concerned about women and view sexual harassment only as a political cudgel against their enemies. https://t.co/kw1JAsPdGv\u201d— Susan J. Demas \ud83c\udfd4 (@Susan J. Demas \ud83c\udfd4) 1511959229
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Just minutes after news broke on Wednesday that longtime NBC host Matt Lauer has been fired for alleged "inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace," President Donald Trump--who himself has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than a dozen women--seized upon the story on Twitter not to unequivocally denounce sexual harassment, but to call for the firing of "top executives at NBC" for "putting out so much Fake News."
Trump then proceeded to level what many viewed as an accusation against NBC News chairman Andy Lack, urging his more than 43 million Twitter followers to "check out his past."
\u201cWow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for \u201cinappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.\u201d But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News. Check out Andy Lack\u2019s past!\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1511957781
\u201cSo 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 \u201cunsolved mystery\u201d that took place in Florida years ago? Investigate!\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1511964859
According to a memo circulated by Lack, Lauer was terminated following a "detailed complaint from a colleague" that "represented, after serious review, a clear violation of our company's standards."
"While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over 20 years he's been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident," the memo stated.
Lauer's firing is just the latest of a wave that has swept up powerful men in a wide range of professions--including the upper ranks of American politics--and revealed the pervasiveness of sexual harassment in America.
As Common Dreams reported last week, Trump effectively endorsed Alabama GOP Senate nominee Roy Moore, who has been accused of sexually harassing and assaulting teenage girls. "He denies it," Trump said, justifying his support for Moore.
In response to his tweet on the Lauer firing on Wednesday, critics were quick to highlight both the claims that have been leveled against Trump and his own words, as revealed by the "Access Hollywood" tape.
\u201cEveryone say it with me now: Trump has bragged about assaulting women by grabbing their pussy and kissing without consent. https://t.co/7hRREOFpIN\u201d— Emily C. Singer (@Emily C. Singer) 1511958353
\u201cWhat strikes me is a bit different: Credible allegations of sexual harassment get you fired from NBC and CBS, but are not a bar to the presidency. https://t.co/6AiPHEfxn4\u201d— Nicholas Kristof (@Nicholas Kristof) 1511959066
\u201cIt's almost as though the president and his supporters aren't genuinely concerned about women and view sexual harassment only as a political cudgel against their enemies. https://t.co/kw1JAsPdGv\u201d— Susan J. Demas \ud83c\udfd4 (@Susan J. Demas \ud83c\udfd4) 1511959229
Just minutes after news broke on Wednesday that longtime NBC host Matt Lauer has been fired for alleged "inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace," President Donald Trump--who himself has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than a dozen women--seized upon the story on Twitter not to unequivocally denounce sexual harassment, but to call for the firing of "top executives at NBC" for "putting out so much Fake News."
Trump then proceeded to level what many viewed as an accusation against NBC News chairman Andy Lack, urging his more than 43 million Twitter followers to "check out his past."
\u201cWow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for \u201cinappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.\u201d But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News. Check out Andy Lack\u2019s past!\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1511957781
\u201cSo 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 \u201cunsolved mystery\u201d that took place in Florida years ago? Investigate!\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1511964859
According to a memo circulated by Lack, Lauer was terminated following a "detailed complaint from a colleague" that "represented, after serious review, a clear violation of our company's standards."
"While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over 20 years he's been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident," the memo stated.
Lauer's firing is just the latest of a wave that has swept up powerful men in a wide range of professions--including the upper ranks of American politics--and revealed the pervasiveness of sexual harassment in America.
As Common Dreams reported last week, Trump effectively endorsed Alabama GOP Senate nominee Roy Moore, who has been accused of sexually harassing and assaulting teenage girls. "He denies it," Trump said, justifying his support for Moore.
In response to his tweet on the Lauer firing on Wednesday, critics were quick to highlight both the claims that have been leveled against Trump and his own words, as revealed by the "Access Hollywood" tape.
\u201cEveryone say it with me now: Trump has bragged about assaulting women by grabbing their pussy and kissing without consent. https://t.co/7hRREOFpIN\u201d— Emily C. Singer (@Emily C. Singer) 1511958353
\u201cWhat strikes me is a bit different: Credible allegations of sexual harassment get you fired from NBC and CBS, but are not a bar to the presidency. https://t.co/6AiPHEfxn4\u201d— Nicholas Kristof (@Nicholas Kristof) 1511959066
\u201cIt's almost as though the president and his supporters aren't genuinely concerned about women and view sexual harassment only as a political cudgel against their enemies. https://t.co/kw1JAsPdGv\u201d— Susan J. Demas \ud83c\udfd4 (@Susan J. Demas \ud83c\udfd4) 1511959229
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