The reason Couric and company gave for the pause was for viewers to consider the question. Erik Wemple of The Washington Post did not buy it, and neither did anyone else for that matter. Couric finally took responsibility, but this isn’t new—and Geoff Dickens at Newsbusters compiled the greatest hits in anti-gun advocacy from the former Today Show host:
“Let’s talk about President Obama’s executive action on guns. What did you think when the President cried?...Were you affected by it?...I know you vehemently oppose the President’s use of executive actions. But constitutional issues aside, Mr. Speaker, do you still believe closing the gun show loophole is reasonable?”
— Yahoo! News anchor Katie Couric to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, January 7, 2016.
“As your convention begins today, there is reportedly a power struggle going on within the NRA. More traditional - you're laughing, but this is what by many accounts is the case that there is a schism between traditional NRA members, conservative sportsmen, and a more radical branch of Second Amendment fundamentalist zealots.”