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TV News Praises President Obama After He Calls Sony’s ‘The Interview’ Cancellation a ‘Mistake’

”Gretchen, I’m outraged for men everywhere,“ Fox News chief White House Correspondent Ed Henry says

| December 19, 2014 @ 2:51 PM

TV news was abuzz following President Obama’s year-end press conference, in which he called Sony’s decision to cancel “The Interview” a mistake.

Also Read: President Obama: Sony ‘Made a Mistake’ in Canceling ‘The Interview’

On CNN, Brian Stelter broke news Friday morning about North Korea sending a new threatening to Sony Thursday.

“He certainly surprised me,” Jake Tapper said to Wolf Blitzer. “Before the press conference, if you asked me what I thought, I thought he’d be more cautious, and talk more about how he understood where Sony was coming from as a business.”

“They were outraged,” justice correspondent Evan Perez said about the Obama administration, reporting it was angry that a dictator won in censoring the American movie industry.

Also Read: Sony Hackers Issue New Threat In Wake ‘The Interview’ Cancellation, Says CNN

“I think he was buoyant,” Gloria Borger said about Obama’s press conference performance, adding he was more energized then she’s seen him since he won reelection.

“He may need to create a cybersecurity agency,” presidential historian Douglas Brinkley said. “We’ve gotta address this, so I think the North Korea thing is very important and significant.”

Over on MSNBC, Chris Matthews anchored special coverage. Coming out of the press conference, Matthews asked Obama’s former Press Secretary and current MSNBC contributor Robert Gibbs for his thoughts on Obama’s statement.

Also Read: Joe Scarborough Goes Bonkers on Hollywood, Mika Brzezinski Blasts George Clooney (Video)

“I think when he was about 10 seconds into that answer, we thought, ‘There’s not a lot he can do in this press conference to make this not the story, and I think it was clearly far and away the headline,” Gibbs said about Obama calling out Sony for the “mistake” of canceling “The Interview.”

“Don’t blame me you conservatives!” Matthews gleefully said was his interpretation of what the president was trying to say. “I wasn’t part of this weak-kneed approach to the bad guys in North Korea.”

Joy Reid agreed with Matthews, saying she saw Obama’s tone and theme as “dripping with ridicule.”

“Ridicule of the Sony decision, ridicule of North Korea, saying it says something interesting of North Korea that they would mount a major attack on a corporation because of a Seth Rogen movie,” Reid continued. “He was saying, ‘nah ah, SONY caved to North Korea, and I’m going to make it clear this was their doing.'”

Fox News came out of the press conference focusing not on Obama’s statements on Sony, but who got to ask questions.

Also Read: Sony’s Michael Lynton Says No VOD Distributor Will Show ‘The Interview’

“Can that be a snub for the network’s not showing the immigration address,” Gretchen Carlson asked her guests after pointing out the president didn’t call on any male reporters — or reporters seated in the front row — to ask questions.

“Gretchen, I’m outraged for men everywhere,” chief White House Correspondent Ed Henry said to Carlson jokingly, pointing out that a few weeks ago at the G20 summit, Obama only called on the five main TV networks, who mostly have male correspondents.

“Frankly, I think some of the questions didn’t press him,” Henry continued. A funny moment during the toss over from Carlson to Shepard Smith.

“And now we’re going to head over to Harris Faulkner, who’s in for Shep today,” Carlson ended.

“Sorry, stuck with me,” Smith said, in fact hosting today (Carlson was sick Friday). Smith led his program focused on Obama’s criticism of Sony, speaking to “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace.

“There are awful lot of people in the Hollywood community, in particular the creative side as opposed to the business side, that are very distressed by this decision by Sony to pull the movie,” Wallace said. “I thought it was an interesting statement by the president and certainly a strong defense of first amendment rights in this country.”

Smith focused Obama’s statement probably pleased North Korea’s leader:

“Everybody says President Kim over there, dictator Kim likes attention, and wants to be noticed…he’s probably popping back the Hennessy and looking at things with new fervor.”

“Well they won,” Wallace responded. “Yea, they did!” Smith agreed. Wallace also brought up George Clooney‘s petition in defense of Sony. “They couldn’t get one person to sign it, so that gives you a sense of just how toxic this whole issue is, and how scared Hollywood is, and unwilling to touch this for fear that they’re going to be next.”

Friday night, “Anderson Cooper 360” will air an interview Fareed Zakaria conducted with Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lyndon at 8pmET

Also Read: Sony CEO Michael Lynton to President Obama: ‘We Have Not Caved’ (Video)

Chris Matthews will interview Sean Penn at 7 p.m. ET to get his reaction on President Obama’s statements and  Sony’s actions.

Sony Hack Attack Timeline: From First Cyberbreach and Leaks to 'The Interview' Release (Photos)

  • Michael Lynton The Grill
  • sony hack email nightmare
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen, "The Interview"
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen
  • Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • "hacked by #GOP" message found on Sony computers
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Tom Hanks
  • Amy Pascal, Steve Mosko of Sony
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Marketing Layoffs
  • Sony Pictures
  • Movie posters for the premiere of the film 'The Interview' at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, California on December 11, 2014. The film, starring US actors Seth Rogen and James Franco, is a comedy about a CIA plot to assassinate its leader Kim Jong-Un, played by Randall Park. North Korea has vowed 'merciless retaliation' against what it calls a 'wanton act of terror' -- although it has denied involvement in a massive cyber attack on Sony Pictures, the studio behind the film. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
  • The Throwaways
  • Skyfall Daniel Craig James Bond 25
  • sony hack email nightmare
  • ArcLight Cinemas
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • the interview hollywood tweets
  • Team America World Police
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • Mike Myers as Dr. Evil on "The Interview."
  • reince priebus chief of staff donald trump health care bill punt end zone football twitter
  • Sony attorney David Boies
  • sony hack email nightmare
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As Sony CEO Michael Lynton prepares to exit, here’s TheWrap’s blow-by-blow of 2014’s devastating cyberattack on the studio

As Sony CEO Michael Lynton announces his resignation, let's look back at one of the darkest periods of his tenure: the Sony hack. 

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