On the July 19 broadcast of NBC's Today, host Matt Lauer allowed Fox News political contributor and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) to repeat and promote his claim that current fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, with what Gingrich reported as a fear of Hezbollah attacks elsewhere, amounts to World War III. Despite media reports that Gingrich intends to promote the World War III rhetoric to give Republicans an edge in the 2006 congressional elections -- and that he is also urging President Bush and congressional Republicans to use war rhetoric for political gain -- Lauer failed to question the validity or motivation of Gingrich's assertions. Instead, Lauer repeated them, and at Gingrich's suggestion, displayed a map intended to “put that [Gingrich's assertions] up graphically, and show you the fight against radical Islam, and look at where they have strong roots.”

As Media Matters for America noted when Gingrich advanced his World War III rhetoric on the July 16 broadcast of NBC's Meet the Press, The Seattle Times reported that in a recent interview, Gingrich talked about the “need to recognize World War III as important for military strategy and political strategy.” The article reported that Gingrich was “very worried” about Republicans' chances in the fall elections and said that President Bush “needs to deliver a speech to Congress and 'connect all the dots' for Americans.” Gingrich reportedly also told the Seattle Times that “public opinion can change 'the minute you use the language' of World War III,” and that “in the coming days he plans to speak out publicly, and to the Administration, about the need to recognize that America is in World War III.”

Gingrich's comments -- as reported by the Times -- were noted on July 17 by Countdown host Keith Olbermann on MSNBC, which NBC owns:

OLBERMANN: Our fourth story on the Countdown: World War III, episode three. History, or at least Newt Gingrich, once again jumping the gun. Apparently, the former Republican Speaker of the House among the first to suggest that it is not too soon to begin framing the current showdown between Israel and Hezbollah, a showdown that is not yet even a declared war between countries, as the next great worldwide conflict. That there is a political benefit to raising the specter of apocalyptic destruction not lost on Mr. Gingrich, who told The Seattle Times over the weekend that he is very worried about the GOP's chances in the fall elections, adding that public opinion can change, quote, “the minute you use the language of World War III.” The message, Mr. Gingrich believes, becoming, “OK, if we're in the third world war, which side do you think should win?”

Despite Gingrich's self-professed political motivations for advancing his World War III rhetoric, Lauer not only failed to question the former speaker's assertions but even helped Gingrich illustrate them with on-screen graphics. Introducing the segment, Lauer stated that Gingrich “is raising the alarm” over the current conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, “saying it looks like the early stages of World War III.” When Gingrich suggested that if “you put [on a map] every place in the world right now where our enemies are trying to kill us ... it sure looks like a world war to me,” Lauer offered to “put that up graphically, and show you the fight against radical Islam, and look at where they have strong roots.” Then, apparently accepting Gingrich's characterization of the current struggles being fought by the U.S. and Israel as a “world war,” Lauer asked: “So when you look back at World War II, Speaker Gingrich, do we now, today, have the allies, the resources, the manpower, to win that kind of a war?”

During the segment, an on-screen graphic read: “Newt: It's World War III.”

As Media Matters noted, in his July 16 appearance on Meet the Press, Gingrich cited the break-up of two aspirational -- but not operational -- alleged terror plots against the United States as evidence of “World War III.” While his conversation with Lauer on Today focused largely the threat posed by Islamic radicals, Gingrich also cited North Korea's recent missile launches as evidence of “World War III” during his Meet the Press interview.

From the July 19 broadcast of NBC's Today:

LAUER: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is raising the alarm over this fight, saying it looks like the early stages of World War III. He's the author of Winning the Future: A 21^st Century Contract with America [Regnery Publishing, 2005]. Speaker Gingrich, good morning. Good to see you again.

GINGRICH: Good morning, Matt.

[...]

LAUER: These comments you've made, about this looking like the early stages of World War III, I think -- very dramatic, puts you out on the dramatic end of this discussion. But do you think this conflict will leave the confines of Israel and Lebanon, spill out past the region and spill out across the world?

GINGRICH: Well, your own reporter just pointed out that the FBI is actively worried about Hezbollah attacks here. We just had 18 Canadians arrested, who had twice as much explosive power as was used in Oklahoma City. And they were planning to capture and behead the Canadian prime minister. We had seven people in Miami on videotape --

LAUER: Right.

GINGRICH: -- pledging loyalty to Al Qaeda. I'm just suggesting to you, you put every place in the world right now where our enemies are trying to kill us, and it sure looks like a world war to me.

LAUER: Well let me -- let me actually do that. Let me put that up graphically, and show you the fight against radical Islam, and look at where they have strong roots, as we look at this map right now. And it is truly global in its context. So when you look back at World War II, Speaker Gingrich, do we now, today, have the allies, the resources, the manpower, to win that kind of a war?

GINGRICH: I think the morning we decide this really is the third world war, and the morning we start to engage and mobilize, we will be -- first of all, we will be very surprised -- the Lebanese government, if it actually trusted the Americans, I think would be willing to work with us to -- to defeat Hezbollah because they're -- Hezbollah is a direct danger to the democratically elected government of Lebanon.

LAUER: Former Speaker Newt Gingrich. Speaker Gingrich, always good to talk to you.

GINGRICH: Thank you.

LAUER: Thanks for being here this morning.