Megyn Kelly Slams Hoda Kotb’s Handling of Savannah Guthrie’s Mother’s Disappearance
The ongoing search for Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, has become a point of contention, particularly regarding the recent interviews Savannah gave on the Today show. Media personality Megyn Kelly has voiced strong criticism of Hoda Kotb’s interviewing style during a two-part series that aired on March 25 and 26, suggesting that Kotb “fell down on the job.”
Kelly, speaking on her program “The Megyn Kelly Show” on March 26, argued that Kotb failed to ask crucial follow-up questions, especially after Savannah revealed a significant detail: the back door to her mother’s home was found “propped open.” According to Kelly, this oversight rendered the interview journalistically unsound.
Kelly posited that Kotb was an inappropriate choice for the interview, suggesting that NBC used the segment as a promotional tool to highlight the “one big, happy family” image of their on-air talent and to showcase Kotb’s supposed empathy. “NBC had an agenda here, which was to show you one big, happy family. Look how empathetic she is. It was an inappropriate choice, journalistically, because it served as only a distraction,” Kelly stated.
Critiques of Emotional Responses and Lack of Follow-Up
A central theme of Megyn Kelly’s critique was what she perceived as Hoda Kotb’s overly emotional response to Savannah Guthrie’s distressing story. Kelly described Kotb’s reactions as “distracting” and “unnecessary,” arguing that they detracted from the journalistic purpose of the interview.
“My real complaint about the way that Hoda handled this – there were no follow-ups. None. And therefore it was not journalistically sound,” Kelly critiqued. She emphasized the importance of basic journalistic principles, stating, “She did not ask very basic questions, like, “What do you mean, ‘Propped open?’ That’s it. I’m not talking about you go for the jugular… I mean very basic reportorial ABCs — What does propped open mean?”
Kelly believes that such elementary questions, which aim to clarify key details of the unfolding situation, were missed. This, in her view, prevented a deeper understanding of the circumstances surrounding Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
New Details Emerge in Nancy Guthrie’s Abduction
During her interviews, Savannah Guthrie provided new insights into the abduction of her 84-year-old mother, Nancy. The disappearance occurred on February 1, and the family has been in a state of distress since.
Savannah recounted the moment she learned her mother was missing. “My sister called me and I said, ‘Is everything OK?’ And she said, ‘No. She said, ‘Mom’s missing,'” Savannah shared. “And I said, ‘What? What are you talking about?’ She said, ‘She’s gone.’”
The revelation of the “propped open” back door initially led Savannah and her older sister, Annie Guthrie, to believe that their mother might have experienced a medical emergency during the night. They speculated that paramedics might have arrived and taken her out through the back. However, this theory was complicated by the fact that Nancy’s phone, purse, and other personal belongings were still at the residence. “She and her older sister, Annie Guthrie, were both in a panic,” Savannah explained, “We thought that she must have had some kind of medical episode in the night and that somehow the paramedics had come because the back doors were propped open and that didn’t make any sense.”
The sisters’ initial thoughts were: “We thought maybe they came and there was a stretcher and they took her out the back. But her phone was there, her purse was there and all her things.” This inconsistency added to the family’s confusion and anguish.
Last Known Sighting and Public Plea
Nancy Guthrie was last seen on January 31. The individual who last saw her was Annie, Savannah’s sister, along with Annie’s husband, Tommaso Cioni. The family has been in “agony” since that day.
In a heartfelt plea to the public, Savannah Guthrie appealed for anyone with information to come forward. “Someone needs to do the right thing,” she implored, hoping for a breakthrough in the ongoing investigation and the safe return of her mother. The circumstances surrounding Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance remain unclear, and the family continues to seek answers and her safe recovery.
