David Gregory Biography

David Michael Gregory (born August 24, 1970) is an American television journalist, and moderator of NBC News' Sunday morning talk show Meet the Press, but also a substitute anchor and host on various NBC News shows.

Early life

Gregory was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Carolyn Surtees, an account manager, and Don Gregory, a film and theatrical producer. Gregory was born to a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother; he was raised Jewish, and is a practicing Jew today.

Gregory graduated from American University in 1992. While there, he worked for the campus television station, ATV, and received a degree in International Studies from the School of International Service. Gregory was named the School of International Service's alumnus of the year in 2005 and sits on the Dean's Advisory Council.

Journalism career

Early career

Gregory began his career at the age of 18 as a summer reporter for KGUN-TV in Tucson, Arizona.

Today

Gregory has been the substitute co-anchor of Weekend Today, filling in for Lester Holt on that program since 2003. He has filled in for Matt Lauer on Today from 2005 to the present. Gregory was also the anchor of News Chat, Crosstalk NBC, and Newsfront on MSNBC from 1998 to 2000.

NBC Nightly News

Gregory has also filled in on NBC News Weekend Nightly News and NBC Nightly News since 2005.

Imus in the Morning

Gregory also filled the Imus in the Morning time slot on MSNBC after the Don Imus controversy involving the Rutgers University basketball team while MSNBC searched for a permanent host. He served as a guest host in the morning time slot for MSNBC (while also being simulcast on WFAN) for one week in May. The morning radio program was known as Gregory Live.

Race for the White House/1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

From March 17, 2008, through December 5, 2008, Gregory hosted a show on MSNBC weekday evenings, which replaced Tucker Carlson's Tucker. The show was called Race for the White House until the conclusion of the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. From November 5, 2008, forward the show became known as 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Gregory was replaced by David Shuster, who was named as the new host for 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue starting with the December 15, 2008 show.

MSNBC anchor for election coverage in 2008

Due to internal fighting among the staff at MSNBC, Gregory was appointed as anchor on MSNBC during the presidential debates and the 2008 election. On November 4"5, he teamed with Rachel Maddow, Eugene Robinson, Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann as commentators on the presidential election.

Meet the Press

Gregory became the moderator of Meet the Press, with his first episode being December 14, 2008. This was the last episode hosted by interim moderator Tom Brokaw.

In the wake of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford's admission that he travelled to Argentina to visit his lover during June 2009, The Post and Courier obtained cell phone records and emails in response to a request under the state Freedom of Information Act. Among the emails were numerous invitations for Sanford to appear on various television shows, including emails from David Gregory. Gregory told Sanford's press secretary "You know he will get a fair shake from me and coming on MTP puts all of this to rest" and "coming on Meet The Press allows you to frame the conversation how you really want to...and then move on." Gregory later denied offering Sanford a "friendly forum", but rather a "fair forum", and stated: "I meant my forum allows him to have the time to discuss the situation in a fullsome [sic] way, to say what he wants and move on."

Relationship with the Bush White House

Gregory was assigned by NBC to the press corps covering George W. Bush when he ran for president in 2000. During the campaign, Bush threw a party for Gregory's 30th birthday, complete with cake, on the campaign plane. Bush has nicknamed Gregory "Stretch" because of his height (6'5"), and also "Dancing Man," for Gregory's occasional propensity to display his dance moves.

After the election, Gregory became a White House correspondent for NBC. The conservative Media Research Center named him 'Best White House Correspondent' for his coverage of Bush's first 100 days. Gregory held this position until taking the Meet the Press job in December 2008. Chuck Todd was named to replace him as White House correspondent on December 18, 2008.

It has been mentioned that Michael Chertoff, a Bush appointee, attended a baby shower for his children.

He also participated with Karl Rove, Bush's chief advisor, in a skit for the Radio and Television Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington DC.

Controversy

Press Secretary conflicts

Gregory's interaction with Bush's Press Secretaries was contentious at times, garnering media attention in several instances. Numerous commentators have used these incidents to characterize Gregory's reportage as 'proof' of the news media's left-wing bias. Gregory has told Howard Kurtz that "it's easy to divert attention against a familiar whipping boy" and that "I provide fodder for critics who say, 'Aha, they're out of control.'"

On January 23, 2009, The Daily Beast columnist Ana Marie Cox stated that Barack Obama still has not discovered "this administration's David Gregory". She used Gregory as a metaphor for a White House foil, and she described this as a figure that could be interpreted as either "tough, news-oriented, and no-nonsense or showy, superficial, and self-indulgent".

High-capacity magazine display

On the December 23, 2012 broadcast of Meet the Press with National Rifle Association chief executive Wayne LaPierre, Gregory displayed what he identified as "a magazine for ammunition that carries 30 bullets". NBC had requested permission from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to include a high-capacity magazine in the segment and were denied. Gregory displayed the magazine on the show, with media reports noting D.C. Code 7-2506.01(b) prohibits the possession of magazines with a capacity in excess of "10 rounds of ammunition."

On December 26, 2012, MPD spokesmen confirmed the launch of an inquiry. When asked by CNN on December 27, 2012, if he thought Gregory should be prosecuted, NRA president David Keene responded, "No, I don't think so... I really think what David Gregory did while he was inadvertently flouting the law was illustrating in a very graphic way, perhaps not intentionally, but in a graphic way just how silly some of these laws are." Other gun rights advocates argued that not charging Gregory would show D.C. police to be hypocritical in enforcing gun laws.

On January 8, 2013, a spokeswoman for D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said her department has "completed the investigation into this matter, and the case has been presented to the District's Office of the Attorney General for a determination of the prosecutorial merit of the case." On January 11, 2013, Attorney General of the District of Columbia Irvin Nathan declared Gregory's action was in violation of 7-2506.01(b), but that he would not proceed with prosecution.

Glenn Greenwald and Edward Snowden

On June 23, 2013, David Gregory posed a question to journalist Glenn Greenwald that the Washington Post described as a "gotcha inquiry" containing "a veiled accusation of federal criminal wrongdoing, very much in the tradition of 'how long have you been beating your wife'". According to the Los Angeles Times, "Gregory's question disguised a loaded assumption" that Greenwald aided and abbetted NSA leaker Edward Snowden before asking "why shouldn't you, Mr. Greenwald, be charged with a crime?". Greenwald responded vigorously in objection to the question. The accusation itself became a news story. The New York Times said, "If you tease apart his inquiry, it suggests there might be something criminal in reporting out important information from a controversial source." The Poynter Institute wrote, "The obvious defense is that he was merely asking a question that evinced a viewpoint advanced by U.S. Rep. Peter King and Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen "? that publishing secrets is law-breaking." Opinion columnist Frank Rich called Gregory's charges "preposterous," questioning Gregory's own journalistic credentials and and asking why Gregory didn't also make similar accusations against Washington Post reporter Barton Gellman, who also published Snowden's leaks.

Personal life

Since June 2000, Gregory has been married to former federal prosecutor and former Fannie Mae executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary, Beth Wilkinson. They met while Gregory was covering the Oklahoma City bombing as a reporter and Wilkinson was serving as prosecutor on the case. The couple have a son Max and twins — one daughter Ava and one son Jed. Although Gregory's wife is not Jewish, they are raising their children in the Jewish faith.