David Gregory (journalist)
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David Gregory (born August 24, 1970) is currently the NBC News Chief White House Correspondent, and has been since February 2001. He occasionally is a guest host on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews and Meet the Press and has also appeared as a guest commentator on that show as well as other NBC and MSNBC programs. Gregory has been the substitute Co-Anchor of Weekend Today filling in for Lester Holt on that program since 2003 and he has also filled in on NBC News Weekend Nightly News since 2005. Gregory has filled in for Matt Lauer on The Today Show in 2005. Gregory had been considered to replace Matt Lauer on The Today Show in 2007 when Lauer turns 50; however, Lauer has since signed a new contract with NBC. Gregory was also the Anchor of news Chat, Crosstalk NBC, and Newsfront over at MSNBC from 1998 to 2000. Prior to his appointment as White House Correspondent, Gregory covered the Bush campaign and the Republican primaries for NBC in the 2000 election.
The conservative Media Research Center awarded him Best White House Correspondent for coverage of Bush's first 100 days. [1]
Gregory graduated from American University in 1992. He wrote for the school newspaper, The Eagle, while there. He received a degree in International Studies from the School of International Service.
Gregory is known for adopting a confrontational style during White House press briefings. In return, he has been accused by the White House of "showing off" for the cameras.
In 2002, he got into a confrontation with President George W. Bush after asking French President Jacques Chirac a question in French during a press conference in Paris. Before Chirac could answer, Bush joked that "The guy memorizes four words, and he plays like he's intercontinental." After Gregory offered to continue speaking in French, Bush replied "I'm impressed. Que bueno. Now I'm literate in two languages." After the press conference was over, Bush addressed Gregory directly, saying "As soon as you get in front of a camera, you start showing off." [2]
At a White House press "gaggle" (an off-camera morning briefing) on February 13, 2006 two days after the accidental shooting of a Houston lawyer by U. S. Vice President Dick Cheney, Gregory confronted Scott McClellan, the White House Press Secretary, about the manner in which the press was notified about the incident. (By agreement with the Vice President, the incident was first reported by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times after the owner of the ranch on which the incident took place waited some 14 hours.) This led to the following exchange:
- MCCLELLAN: "Hold on. Cameras aren't on right now. You can do this later."
- GREGORY: "Don't accuse me of trying to pose to the cameras. Don't be a jerk to me personally when I'm asking you a serious question."
- MCCLELLAN: "You don't have to yell."
- GREGORY: "I will yell. If you want to use that podium and try to take shots at me personally, which I don't appreciate, then I will raise my voice, because that's wrong."
- MCCLELLAN: "Calm down, David."
On February 19, Gregory appeared on NBC News's Meet the Press and apologized for his behavior which he referred to as "unprofessional".
On March 2, 2006, Gregory was jokingly accused of being drunk by Don Imus when he called in to the Imus in the Morning show from India (while traveling with President George W. Bush). The story was then picked up by The Drudge Report, which reported Gregory really was drunk, and The O'Reilly Factor, where commentator Juan Williams said "We don't know if he was drunk, but it sure came across that way." [3] Gregory is married to former federal prosecutor Beth Wilkinson, now a general counsel at Fannie Mae. They have three children.
