Katie Couric tried Tuesday to restore her image ahead of the release of her new memoir — defending her decision to censor Ruth Bader Ginsburg's comments about athletes' taking the knee, and trashing former co-host Matt Lauer over his sexual misconduct.
Returning to NBC's "Today" show she anchored for more than a decade, Couric complained "so much of it has been taken out of context ... to get clicks probably."
In her memoir "Going There," set for release Oct. 26, Couric confesses she let her personal political views influence her editing decisions during a 2016 interview with Ginsburg, the Daily Mail reported last week.
She writes she edited out a part where Ginsburg said athletes who kneel during the national anthem are showing "contempt for a government that has made it possible for their parents and grandparents to live a decent life," the Daily Mail reported, citing a copy it had obtained of the memoir.
"Ultimately, I think I should have included it," Couric told the "Today" show. "But I also think it's really important to look at what I did include. She had to make a statement afterwards saying her comments were harsh and dismissive."
Couric said she wished she had asked a follow-up question to clarify or had "just run it and let her clarify it later."
She also trashed Matt Lauer, her former co-host who she initially tried to protect after allegations first surfaced of sexual misconduct.
"It took me a long time to process," Couric told "Today."
"The side of Matt that I knew was the side you all knew. Kind, generous, considerate, a good colleague . . . as I got more information, it was really upsetting and disturbing."
"It was really devastating, but also disgusting. I think what I realized is that there was a side of Matt I never really knew, and I tried to understand why he behaved the way he did, and why he was so reckless and callous, and honestly abusive to other women," she added.
Fran Beyer ✉
Fran Beyer is a writer with Newsmax and covers national politics.
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