NBC’s Kristen Welker walked into the presidential debate in Nashville, Tennessee Thursday night, and the nation speculated on whether or not it could contain the mayhem that broke out during the initial debate. She did not disappoint.
Welker received widespread praise on both sides of the aisle, maintaining order, asking questions that kept both President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden on their toes throughout the debate, and calling for respect in ways none of the other moderators did the general election – Fox – urged Chris Wallace of New and Susan Page of USA Today did it.
“Well, first of all, I’m jealous,” Wallace said on Fox News. “I would have liked to be able to moderate this debate.”
“Kudos to @kwelkernbc for a job well done tonight,” tweeted Page, “and a service to our nation.”
The 44-year-old Welker, who has been the White House correspondent since 2011, skillfully managed the course of the debate, requested relevant follow-up action and enabled Trump and Biden to engage with each other without either of them affecting each other.
From questions about Trump’s terrible handling of his government’s COVID-19 response to Biden’s authorship of the Violent Crime and Prosecution Act of 1994, to Foreign and Immigration Policy, Welker tweaked each of those 90 minutes.
“Every single person on NBC News is proud,” NBC President Noah Oppenheim told CNN. “Kristen is loved and admired by all of us and tonight the whole country knows why.”
Watch the last presidential debate:
