The Surprising Reaction To Kristen Welker's Debate Performance

The rogue fly that landed on Vice President Mike Pence's head may have been the unofficial winner of the 2020 U.S. vice presidential debate, but at the final presidential debate between incumbent president Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, moderator Kristen Welker basically stole the show from the two men on stage. A White House correspondent and rising star journalist with NBC News, Welker stepped into the second and final presidential debate, held on October 22nd, with the weight of responsibility on her shoulders and high expectations hanging in the air. Not only was the debate the arguable last chance both Trump and Biden had to push their campaigns forward in the final stretch to the general election on November 3rd, but it also came after a truly chaotic first presidential debate. As the moderator running the evening, Welker would have to keep both men on topic, stop them from interrupting one another, and maintain order for a full 90 minutes — all while working with a new mic-muting rule and delivering questions about COVID-19, American families, climate change, national security, leadership, and race in America. That's no easy feat — even for a professional like Welker — but based on reactions from those who tuned into the debate, Welker did a splendid job. In her own tweet, writer, activist, and former Human Rights Campaign rapid response press secretary Charlotte Clymer echoed Alcindor's remarks in saying that Welker was "killing it" with her "excellent moderation." Cultural commentator and Let's Go There host Ryan Mitchell regarded Welker as "the blueprint" for all moderators, while NBC News political reporter Allan Smith tweeted that she, quote, "crushed tonight." A common stance from viewers at home was that Welker's performance during the final presidential debate was far and away better than that of Chris Wallace, who moderated the first debate that took place back on September 29th. Wallace had little control over Trump and Biden, and the night overall was described by CNN's Jake Tapper as, quote, "a hot mess, inside a dumpster fire, inside a train wreck." With praise pouring in from all corners of social media for Welker's handling of the night, the moderator also earned high marks from, well, another unlikely source: President Trump himself. The Republican incumbent's campaign has seemingly made a point of targeting NBC and Welker for criticism in the debate's lead-up, noting at a previous Wisconsin rally that Welker is, quote, "extremely unfair" and a "radical Democrat." What's more, Trump has repeatedly accused debate moderators of harboring a bias against him, starting with Fox's Chris Wallace in the first face-off between the two candidates. At another point in the first debate, after Trump accused Biden of interrupting, Wallace had to clarify things. So, after having his feathers ruffled by the veteran Fox News host, and warning of Welker's possible political leanings before the second debate, it came as quite a surprise when Trump casually offered Welker a seemingly genuine compliment after tussling with Biden over his stance on fracking. Perhaps it was Kristen Welker who was the debate's true winner. Keep watching to see The Surprising Reaction To Kristen Welker's Debate Performance! #Debate2020