NBC Amazed at Obama Wearing His Emotions on His Sleeves in Speech on Gun Violence

LAUER: "We’re back now, 7:43. A lot of people were watching this live yesterday. A lot of people talking about it today, that rare display of emotion from President Obama."

GUTHRIE: "He wiped back tears, if you saw it during the speech on gun violence. It got us thinking about what happens when politicians wear emotions on their sleeves and NBC’s Andrea Mitchell has been looking into that part of the story. Andrea, good morning, again."

MITCHELL: "Good morning again, Savannah. Well, he is famously known to his staff as “No-Drama Obama,” even criticized as a political Mr. Spock, but President Obama was unapologetically angry and emotional when talking about the victims of gun violence, especially the children of Newtown."

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MITCHELL (voice-over): "Perhaps it was the weight of so many tragedies – Charleston, Gabby Giffords, San Bernardino, Sandy Hook Elementary. The thought of those children reducing the most powerful man in the world to tears."

OBAMA: "First graders. And from every family who never imagined that their loved one would be taken from our lives by a bullet from a gun. Every time I think about those kids it gets me mad."

MITCHELL (voice-over): "It isn’t the first time this President has cried in public. Sometimes it’s personal, when the grandmother who raised him died."

OBAMA: "There’s great joy as well as tears."

MITCHELL (voice-over): "Or after winning re-election, thanking his campaign team."

OBAMA: "I’m really proud of that. I’m really proud of all of you."

MITCHELL (voice-over): "But Barack Obama is hardly alone among politicians showing their emotions. It can cut both ways. Former Senator Ed Musky’s presidential hopes were washed away on a teary day in 1972. In 2008, Hillary Clinton won New Hampshire by showing her human side."

CLINTON: "I just don’t want to see us fall backwards, you know, so."

MITCHELL (voice-over): "Even Dwight D. Eisenhower, the celebrated commander of allied forces in World War II, wasn’t afraid to cry while saluting veterans of the 82nd airborne during the 1952 campaign. Ronald Reagan didn’t cry, but his emotions were raw after the Challenger exploded in 1986."

REAGAN: "As they prepared for their journey and waved good-bye and slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God."

MITCHELL (voice-over): "The first President Bush, out of office, struggled to express his feelings about son Jeb in 2006."

GEORGE H.W. BUSH: "The true measure of a man is how you handle victory and also defeat."

MITCHELL (voice-over): "After 9/11, the second President Bush."

GEORGE W. BUSH: "Our unity is a kinship of grief."

MITCHELL (voice-over): "The son feeling the comforting hand of his father. But no president has been a match for the former Speaker of the House.”

BOEHNER: “Our hearts are broken but our spirit is not.”

MITCHELL (voice-over): "Never afraid to show his emotions.”

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MITCHELL: "Presidents and other politicians turning the old adage on its head. Big men and women do cry. Back to you guys.”

GUTHRIE: “Alright, Andrea.”

MORALES: “That’s brought us to tears, Andrea, watching the piece.”

GUTHRIE: “Interesting look back. Yeah, thank you.”

LAUER: “Look back at those stories as we remember them, I thought Ronald Reagan’s words –“

MORALES: “Oh, my gosh.”

ROKER: “Oh, my gosh.”

LAUER: “-- after that shuttle disaster was – still, every time I hear them I get choked up.”

MORALES: “It pierces your soul.”

LAUER: “It does. Carson’s over in the Orange Room and a lot of people are talking about this online. Carson, what are they saying?”

DALY: “Well, the response on social media was rather mixed. Of course there is support for the President, like from New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, tweeting, “Some think that Obama’s tears about gun violence show weakness. Nope. We should all be crying about 32,000 American deaths a year.” Another tweet reads this, “Seeing President Obama cry makes me proud to have a leader so moved by the stories and lives of Americans.” Using the #EndGunViolence. But there were others who were not so moved. This one, “and the Oscar for the ‘best fake crying to make an emotional point to push his anti-gun agenda’ goes to President Obama!!!” And Nick here addressing his message right to the President’s senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, tweeting, “At least have Obama practice making fake tears before putting him on stage. Today’s performance was brutal.” Guys, like it or not, social media had plenty to say on this topic.

MORALES: “Sure did.”

LAUER: “Alright, Carson, thank you very much.”