(Ben Sellers, Headline USA) White House officials and others slammed former Today show star Katie Couric for hectoring Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., to denounce slain activist Charlie Kirk in a podcast Thursday.
Fetterman, who was hospitalized on Thursday morning after falling during a morning walk, appeared on the episode of Couric’s podcast show, “Next Question,” which was published that same morning.
The focus of the show, ostensibly, was the Pennsylvania moderate’s recovery from a 2022 stroke that left him nearly incapacitated during his senatorial run, and a convalescence that spiraled him into a depression.
But Couric, an outspoken leftist, took the opportunity to try to bait Fetterman into attacking Kirk, who was assassinated on Sept. 10.
“I think some people might say Charlie Kirk’s rhetoric was extreme … People think his words lead to violence,” Couric said in her third attempt to elicit a negative soundbyte.
“I think we agree that we probably didn’t agree with much of what he said,” Fetterman replied. “But I’m sure we both agree that you shouldn’t execute them in public.”
Couric also attempted thrice to get Fetterman to call President Donald Trump “anti-democratic,” according to a recap from the Media Research Center.
“I don’t call people fascists or Nazis or compare people to Hitler,” Fetterman replied. “And I think that [the use of Godwin’s law as a campaign strategy] is part of why we lost our election last year.”
Not everyone was as diplomatic about Couric’s leading questions.
Steven Cheung, the White House director of communications, called her a “washed up idiot” and “absolute ghoul” for the brazen interrogation.
This washed up idiot @katiecouric is an absolute ghoul. She tries to justify the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk. Disgusting people like Katie should be shamed and embarrassed forever. https://t.co/Ox18dY4WhL
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) November 13, 2025
Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, also slammed Couric during an appearance on Fox News.
“When you look at something like this Katie Couric interview … I kind of feel like this was a person who once was pretty relevant, who has lost a lot of relevance, and it seemed like her attempt was to goad Sen. Fetterman into somehow justifying Charlie’s murder to get a a ‘gotcha moment’ with him for, I don’t know, a ratings boost, some clicks on social media,” Trump said, according to Mediaite.
During her heyday, Couric performed a hat trick by anchoring the nightly news shows on all of the “Big Three” broadcast TV networks. Her last major network role was an ABC daytime talk show, Katie, which was canceled in 2014 after only two years due to low ratings.
Her image was tarnished somewhat after her longtime Today cohost, Matt Lauer was fired amid #MeToo-era allegations of sexual misconduct, raising questions as to whether she should have spoken out.
But Couric’s association with alleged sexual predators doesn’t end there.
With the recent release of files in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, scrutiny also has fallen upon “America’s sweetheart” for attending a dinner party with the pedophile financier, as well as accused sexual abusers, Charlie Rose and Woody Allen. The party was held in honor of England’s Prince Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten–Windsor after having been stripped of his titles over his association with Epstein.
Couric subsequently denied any culpability, saying “I didn’t know anything about [Epstein] at the time.”
However, the party occurred only 18 months after Epstein’s first stint in prison, a 13-month sentence in 2009 for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Jeffrey Epstein held a dinner party w/ guests Katie Couric, George Stephanopoulos, Chelsea Handler, Charlie Rose & Woody Allen in honor of Prince Andrew.
Couric said “I didn’t know anything about him at the time”.
This was 18 Months after he was released from prison in 2010 pic.twitter.com/7rEhQPaoe4
— Clyp Keeper (@DGrayTexas45) November 14, 2025
Ben Sellers is a freelance writer and former editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/realbensellers.
