Katie Couric Slammed for ‘Toxic’ Choice to Omit RBG Quote on Anthem Kneelers From 2016 Interview
Veteran journalist Katie Couric has faced criticism for admitting in her new memoir that she aimed to “protect” the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg by omitting her harsh comments about national anthem protesters from a 2016 interview.
Copies of Couric’s book, “Going There,” have been obtained by the Daily Mail and New York Post, both of which reported that Ginsburg told Couric it is “dumb and disrespectful” not to stand for the national anthem and that those who chose not to showed “contempt for a government that has made it possible for their parents and grandparents to live a decent life.”
Couric only included the “dumb and disrespectful” comments in the interview that was ultimately published in Yahoo News in 2016, amid protests against police brutality and systemic racism. Many professional athletes, led by NFL player Colin Kaepernick, opted at the time to take a knee during the national anthem.
Couric wrote in her book that she wanted to “protect” Ginsburg, who was 83 at the time of the interview, because she worried Ginsburg “was elderly and probably didn’t understand the question.”
The longtime journalist was panned by her peers after the book’s revelation became public.
New Republic columnist Natalie Shure called the action “completely indefensible,” while Fox News’ Brit Hume wrote, “It is one of the temptations of journalism to protect those you favor. Couric was urged not to do this by the former president of ABC News, himself a news anchor. It was the right advice.”
“Not that it’s a surprise but it’s never not a good day to remind people that the news is fake,” added Mike Cernovich.
“It’s quite something that Katie Couric is the one canceling herself,” mused Fox News’ Janice Dean, as the New York Times’ Maggie Haberman called the decision “toxic.”
