Elections

Trump: Debate Moderator Lester Holt ‘Did A Very Good Job’

Vince Coglianese Editorial Director
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HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Donald Trump says he was pleased with Lester Holt as a debate moderator Monday night.

“I thought Lester did great,” Trump told The Daily Caller directly following his first general election debate with Hillary Clinton.

NBC’s Holt, who mostly gave the two candidates space for lively back-and-forth, did use some of his few speaking opportunities to “fact check” Donald Trump — something the Clinton campaign spent the weekend begging for.

In fact, Clinton used the debate to ask journalists for help against Trump.

“I hope the fact-checkers are turning up the volume and really working hard,” Clinton said on stage. “Donald supported the invasion of Iraq.”

Holt would answer Clinton’s call, insisting that Trump supported the war in Iraq — a point Trump disputed.

“You supported the war in Iraq,” Holt said to Trump.

“That is mainstream media nonsense,” Trump replied. “I was against the war in Iraq.”

“The record shows otherwise,” Holt said.

The moderator didn’t similarly spar with Hillary over anything.

Did Trump notice the discrepancy? “Yeah, but it checked out,” Trump told TheDC in the post-debate “Spin Room.”

“I thought Lester did a very good job.”

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