NBC Host Cheers Obama's Call for Women's Equal Pay: 'Let's Make This Happen'

On Wednesday's NBC Today, 9 a.m. ET hour co-host Natalie Morales touted one of the "great moments" from President Obama's Tuesday night State of the Union: "I think one of the moments that a lot of people were talking about was when he made reference to the gender inequality issue. He said, 'You know, we are no longer in a Mad Men era'....33,000 tweets, I believe, so something that I think a lot of women are saying, 'It's about time.'" [Listen to the audio [1]]

She then parroted a deceptive talking point used by the President: "You know, we earn 77 cents to the dollar, I believe, that a man makes. So let's make it happen." The Washington Post's Glenn Kessler fact-checked [2] that claim: "There is clearly a wage gap, but differences in the life choices of men and women – such as women tending to leave the workforce when they have children –  make it difficult to make simple comparisons."

Here is a transcript of the January 29 remarks from Morales:

9:02PM ET

(...)

NATALIE MORALES: Yeah, well, I think the moment that everybody tweeted about – I mean there were a lot of great moments, I think, last night – but I think one of the moments that a lot of people were talking about was when he made reference to the gender inequality issue. He said, "You know, we are no longer in a Mad Men era." So I think if you want to take a look at this and you'll get a sense of what he was saying.

BARACK OBAMA: It is time to do away with workplace policies that belong in a Mad Men episode. This year, let's all come together, Congress, the White House, businesses from Wall Street to Main Street, to give every woman the opportunity she deserves because I believe when women succeed, America succeeds.

GEIST: A big ovation in the room...

MORALES: Huge.

GEIST: ...and it was the single most tweeted moment of the night from people watching.

MORALES: 33,000 tweets, I believe, so something that I think a lot of women are saying, "It's about time." You know, we earn 77 cents to the dollar, I believe, that a man makes. So let's make it happen.

(...)