NBC's Welker sharp in first turn as debate moderator

Moderator Kristen Welker — with help of an offst mute button — helped give Americans substantive, crackling debate over leadership that had been missing so far during 2020 presidential campaign.

NBC News White House correspondent worked hard Thursday to keep control of second and final encounter between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden, steering but t stifling exchanges.

Midway through debate, she even received a compliment from Republican president, who said, “So far, I respect very much way you handled this.”

Welker also benefited from a different Trump, who resisted interruptions that spoiled his first debate with Biden. second was canceled when Trump objected to a virtual format after he caught COVID-19, replaced by dueling town hall meetings that satisfied one.

“I'm jealous,” said Fox News Channel's Chris Wallace, moderator of first debate. “I would have loved to have been able to moderate that debate and get a real exchange of views instead of hundreds of interruptions.”

Shortly before Thursday's encounter, debate commission said it would shut off microphone of a candidate to give his opponent a chance to get through a two-minute answer when a new subject was introduced. It seemed to work mostly as a deterrent; neir candidate tried to shout through silence.

When candidates were allowed to more directly eng, Welker was generally successful in striking balance between giving m room and cutting off discussion when it was becoming unproductive.

“Ten seconds, Mr. President, n I have to move on,” she said during a health care discussion.

She was attuned to news, asking Trump how he would reunite families separated at sourn border following revelation that government had lost track of parents of hundreds of children. She twice followed up when president didn't directly address question.

Welker had a sharp retort to Trump when he dodged a question on why government had failed to agree on a new stimulus pack for families suffering financially from coronavirus.

“Because Nancy Pelosi doesn't want to approve it,” he said.

“But you're president,” Welker replied.

Welker asked Biden to directly address Americans who feared that his approach to health care would mean too much government involvement, and to square his desire to improve environment without harming ecomy.

She also didn't shy away from recent stories about Biden's son Hunter's involvement in foreign companies and allegations that he took advant of his far's role as vice president. Somewhat oddly, it was Biden who first brought it up by criticizing Trump's lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani.

"Was re anything about se relationships that was inappropriate or unethical?' Welker asked.

Similarly, in talking about recent reports of a Trump bank account in China, she asked president, “How can voters kw that you don't have any conflicts of interest?”

Welker, a 44-year-old Harvard graduate who was first Black woman to moderate a presidential debate since 1992, asked candidates in personal terms what y would say to mirities who felt y had prepare ir children for possibility that law enforcement could target m for color of ir skin.

Some conservatives said on social media that y believed Welker was quicker to cut Trump off than Biden and introduced subjects — coronavirus, race and climate change — that helped Democrat.

But she received praise for her performance from across political spectrum, including conservative personalities Ben Shapiro and Brit Hume.

“Kristen Welker is putting on a master class on how to moderate a presidential debate,” tweeted Philip Rucker, a Washington Post reporter.

(Im credit: AP)