In 2011 Gabby Giffords was shot in the head while meeting with constituents outside a Tucson grocery store.
“Back in 2011, Gabby was shot in the head while meeting with constituents outside a Tucson grocery store.”
Preview: Gabby Giffords on Before & After with Lester Holt
19 Oct 2026 · 5m · Craig Melford, Kate Snow, Lester Holt, Gabby Giffords, Emma Brown · 17 quoted facts
In brief
This is a preview of Lester Holt's podcast Before & After, featuring former congresswoman Gabby Giffords. She was shot in the head in 2011 and lives with aphasia, a condition that makes it hard to get words out. Her story is told as one of recovery and of continued public work through her gun safety organization, Giffords.
The tension is between what Giffords can say and what she wants to say. Her answers are short and often funny, while her colleague Emma Brown fills in the harrowing details. The brief conversation shows a person who has lost easy speech, kept her humor, and kept up a demanding routine of therapy and travel.
Key insights
Aphasia blocks speech, not Giffords' thoughts
Giffords says 'the words are there in my brain' but she can't get them out. This shows the condition affects expression rather than intelligence or desire to communicate.
Her first words after waking were 'what' and 'chicken'
Emma Brown says that after weeks in a coma these were the only two words Giffords could say. Giffords rebuilt her vocabulary from there, and no one knows why those words survived.
Family shielded her from news coverage at first
Brown says the newspapers were hidden from Giffords because the news was too much to take in. When she understood her injuries, she asked her husband what was happening to her.
Giffords keeps a packed daily routine
She lists yoga, French horn, Spanish lessons, biking, gym work, pool therapy and heavy travel. She says she loves it and calls recovery 'a lot of homework'.
The shooting shaped later gun-violence advocacy
Holt links Giffords to survivors of later shootings in Las Vegas and El Paso. Her organization, Giffords, is part of her response, and Emma Brown is its executive director.
Questions
Who is Gabby Giffords and what happened to her?
She is a former Arizona congresswoman married to Senator Mark Kelly. In 2011 she was shot in the head while meeting constituents outside a Tucson grocery store, as Lester Holt says in this episode.
What is aphasia?
It is a condition that can make speaking difficult. Giffords describes it as having the words in her brain but being unable to get them out.
What were the first words Giffords said after the shooting?
Emma Brown says that when Giffords woke from a coma, the only words she could say were 'what' and 'chicken'. Giffords then rebuilt her vocabulary from those.
Who is Emma Brown?
She is the executive director of Giffords, the gun safety organization, and she works with Gabby Giffords. In this episode she explains parts of the story Giffords has trouble telling.
What is this episode, and where can I hear the full interview?
It is a Dateline preview of the final episode of Lester Holt's podcast Before & After. The full conversation is available by searching for Before & After with Lester Holt.
Facts
Stated by the speakers. Each quote matches the transcript, which shows what was said, not that it is true.
Giffords' brain injury left her with partial paralysis and aphasia, a condition that can make speaking difficult.
“She suffered a devastating brain injury that left her with partial paralysis and aphasia, a condition that sometimes makes it difficult to speak.”
Gabby Giffords is a former Arizona congresswoman who is married to Senator Mark Kelly.
“Gabby Giffords, the former Arizona congresswoman married to Senator Mark Kelly.”
Giffords leads a gun safety organization that is also named Giffords.
“Gabby still has a lot to say about her recovery, her gun safety organization, Giffords, and her hope for the future.”
Lester Holt hosts a new podcast called Before and After, and this episode previews its Giffords installment.
“Hi, I'm Lester Holt with a special preview of my new podcast, Before and After.”
Emma Brown works with Gabby Giffords and appears in the interview.
“I want to bring in Emma Brown. Hi, Emma. Hi. Um, you work with Gabby.”
Giffords says that with aphasia the words are in her brain but she cannot get them out.
“Aphasia really sucks. The words are there in my brain. I just can't get them out.”
Giffords describes a routine that includes yoga, French horn, Spanish lessons, biking, gym work, pool therapy and travel.
“Yoga twice a week, French horn, Spanish lessons, biking, 240 for the gym, pool therapy, and I'm traveling 60 on the road.”
Emma Brown says Giffords was in a coma for a few weeks after the shooting and could say only two words when she woke.
“When Gabby was shot, um, she was in a coma for a few weeks. And when she woke up, those were the only two words that she could say.”
Emma Brown says the word 'what' was one of Giffords' only two words after the coma, and she rebuilt her vocabulary from there.
“And what? Yeah, the word what. No one knows why. No one knows why. But those those were the only words that she could say, and she rebuilt her vocabulary from there.”
Emma Brown says she does not experience Giffords as quiet in real life, despite Giffords calling herself quiet now.
“I don't experience you as all that quiet in real life.”
A news clip from the time reported that six people were dead and a congresswoman was fighting for her life after the Tucson shooting.
“Tonight from Tucson, the massacre that's left a nation stunned. Six people are dead, and a congresswoman fights for her life.”
Lester Holt flew to Arizona after the shooting and anchored the news from there.
“Right after you were shot, I flew out to Arizona and I was anchoring the news from there.”
Holt says there was erroneous early reporting that Giffords had died.
“I'm sure you've been told this, that there was some erroneous reporting that you had died.”
Emma Brown says that after Giffords woke up, newspapers were hidden from her because the news was too much to take in.
“Gabby will, um, and Senator Kelly will tell a story of, um, after she had woken up, they hid the newspapers from her because it was too much, you know, to take in.”
Holt notes that mass shootings in Las Vegas and El Paso happened after the shooting of Giffords.
“I was thinking as I came here, all the shootings that happened after yours. There was Las Vegas. There was El Paso.”
Kate Snow is an NBC News anchor and hosts the NBC News podcast The Drink.
“Hi, I'm Kate Snow, NBC News anchor and host of the NBC News podcast, The Drink.”
Chapters
- 0:01:09Holt introduces Giffords and her injury
Holt sets up the story: the 2011 Tucson shooting, her brain injury, and the themes of recovery and gun safety.
“She suffered a devastating brain injury that left her with partial paralysis and aphasia”
- 0:02:09A busy week of therapy and hobbies
Giffords answers with a quick list of activities, showing humor and a full schedule.
“Yoga twice a week, French horn, Spanish lessons, biking, 240 for the gym, pool therapy”
- 0:02:47Living with aphasia
Giffords explains in her own words what the condition feels like.
“The words are there in my brain. I just can't get them out.”
- 0:03:05Coma, and the words 'what' and 'chicken'
Emma Brown describes how Giffords began to speak again after her coma.
“she was in a coma for a few weeks”
- 0:03:24Holt's coverage and the false reports of her death
Holt recalls anchoring from Arizona, where early reports wrongly said Giffords had died.
“I flew out to Arizona and I was anchoring the news from there.”
- 0:03:57Realizing the extent of her injuries
Brown relays the story of the hidden newspapers and Giffords' reaction when she understood what had happened.
“they hid the newspapers from her because it was too much”
- 0:04:57Recovery and survivors of later shootings
Holt connects Giffords to later shooting survivors and asks about her ongoing recovery.
“A lot of homework. A lot of homework.”
Transcript
0:00:00
Craig Melford
I'm Craig Melford. Cheers, cheers. I've always been a glass half full kind of guy. And now I'm talking to some people who look at the world that way too. Some really fascinating folks who share their defining moments, their triumphs, their challenges. Their stories are funny and quite candid. So I hope you'll join me each week. And who knows, you might just come away with your own glass half full.
0:00:24
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Search Glass Half Full with Craig Melford from today on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.
0:00:30
Kate Snow
Hi, I'm Kate Snow, NBC News anchor and host of the NBC News podcast, The Drink. This month, I'm having a non-alcoholic Guinness with filmmaker, actor, and writer Ed Burns. You know him from movies like Saving Private Ryan and 27 Dresses, but you will not believe what it took to get his first movie made, including tracking down legendary actor director Robert Redford. Ed and I talk about how he built his career on his own terms and the staying power of independent filmmaking.
0:00:58
And of course, I had to ask, what's the secret to his decades-long marriage to supermodel Christie Turlington? We talk about all of it. I hope you'll join us for the drink. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Lester Holt with a special preview of my new podcast, Before and After. In this week's episode, I sit down with Gabby Giffords, the former Arizona congresswoman married to Senator Mark Kelly. Back in 2011, Gabby was shot in the head while meeting with constituents outside a Tucson grocery store.
0:01:09
She suffered a devastating brain injury that left her with partial paralysis and aphasia, a condition that sometimes makes it difficult to speak. But as I learned, Gabby still has a lot to say about her recovery, her gun safety organization, Giffords, and her hope for the future. I can't believe we've never met.
0:02:02
Lester Holt
How is that?
0:02:02
Gabby Giffords
Yeah, I don't know. I don't know.
0:02:04
Lester Holt
I I wanted to meet you because I wanted to know what it's like being Gabby Giffords.
0:02:09
Gabby Giffords
Funny, funny, funny. I'm Gabby Giffords. Yoga twice a week, French horn, Spanish lessons, biking, 240 for the gym, pool therapy, and I'm traveling 60 on the road.
0:02:23
Lester Holt
Are we talking about an average day you Do all that? And how does it make you feel?
0:02:28
Gabby Giffords
Love it. Love it, love it. Yeah.
0:02:31
Lester Holt
This is a point I think I want to bring in Emma Brown. Hi, Emma. Hi. Um, you work with Gabby.
0:02:36
Emma Brown
Yeah, the executive director of Giffords. Yeah.
0:02:39
Lester Holt
Gabby has a condition called aphasia. Gabby, I'll I'll turn it to you on that. What does aphasia mean for your life? How does it affect you?
0:02:47
Gabby Giffords
Aphasia really sucks. The words are there in my brain. I just can't get them out. I love to talk. I'm Gabby, and I'm so quiet now.
0:02:56
Emma Brown
I don't experience you as all that quiet in real life.
0:03:02
Gabby Giffords
What, what, what? And chicken, chicken, chicken.
0:03:05
Emma Brown
When Gabby was shot, um, she was in a coma for a few weeks. And when she woke up, those were the only two words that she could say. The word
0:03:14
Lester Holt
Chicken chicken.
0:03:15
Emma Brown
And what? Yeah, the word what. No one knows why. No one knows why. But those those were the only words that she could say, and she rebuilt her vocabulary from there.
0:03:24
Lester Holt
Right after you were shot, I flew out to Arizona and I was anchoring the news from there.
0:03:29
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Tonight from Tucson, the massacre that's left a nation stunned. Six people are dead, and a congresswoman fights for her life.
0:03:38
Lester Holt
I'm sure you've been told this, that there was some erroneous reporting that you had died.
0:03:43
Gabby Giffords
Oh, no way, Jose.
0:03:45
Lester Holt
Yeah. How long before you realize what had happened and the extent of your injuries?
0:03:52
Gabby Giffords
What is happening to me? What is happening to me?
0:03:57
Emma Brown
Gabby will, um, and Senator Kelly will tell a story of, um, after she had woken up, they hid the newspapers from her because it was too much, you know, to take in. And I think he walked into the bathroom right in And The hospital and
0:04:13
Gabby Giffords
cried, yeah.
0:04:13
Emma Brown
Cried and um said to Mark, What is happening to me? You know, realizing what had what had happened and the extent of her injuries.
0:04:22
Lester Holt
Did you understand how badly You were? You have tracheotomy Scar
0:04:28
Gabby Giffords
The bullet.
0:04:30
Lester Holt
Went through your head? I was thinking as I came here, all the shootings that happened after yours. There was Las Vegas. There was El Paso. And I think about the survivors, people like yourself, and how you managed to figure it out. And you put 1 foot in front of the other, and you take back What's yours. Are You still recovering? What's that look like?
0:04:57
Gabby Giffords
A lot of homework. A lot of homework.
0:05:00
Lester Holt
It sounds hard.
0:05:02
Gabby Giffords
I'm tough.
0:05:08
Lester Holt
Thanks for listening. Search Before and After with Lester Holt to hear the full episode now.
0:05:23
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0:05:25
Craig Melford
They stab my wife about four or five times.
0:05:28
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He said she died trying to help a stranger.
0:05:30
Craig Melford
Gotta live with that every day.
0:05:32
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The hunt for a killer puts a city on edge.
0:05:35
Craig Melford
The race was on.
0:05:36
Speaker 7
It just floored me.
0:05:37
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