Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump delivered strong performances in the first presidential debate on Monday night, yet many felt that moderator Lester Holt unfairly favored the former secretary of state.
Hillary Clinton, Donald and Lester Holt onstage at the first presidential debate (Getty Images)
The NBC Nightly News anchor interrupted Trump 41 times on Monday — compared to only seven for Clinton — and has been criticized for giving the Democratic nominee a free pass on her personal email server and alleged scandals involving the Clinton Foundation, while hammering Trump on his past support for conspiracy theories about President Obama’s birth. (RELATED: Holt Interrupted Trump WAY More Than Clinton In Debate)
Though Holt clearly attacked the Republican nominee four times, conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt says that the four hit questions against him — specifically the one about Trump’s past birtherism — will help Trump in the next two debates.
“He answered Lester’s questions,” Hewitt said on MSNBC Tuesday morning. “And I think he ought to be sending roses to Lester Holt this morning because by asking birther question that had to be asked, by asking the tax return question that has to be asked, they are off the table for the next two debates with Donald Trump.”
“If they return to the table, I believe the American people will perceive the actual real bias in elite media, the mass armada of elite media against Donald Trump. So Lester Holt did a terrific job, but he also did a favor to Donald Trump by getting that asked and answered even though it was his worst answer, it’s over.”
Hewitt argued that it’s no secret that the media heavily backs Clinton, a point Trump himself made in Monday’s debate. (VIDEO: Trump, Lester Holt Lock Horns — ‘The Best Person In Her Campaign’ Is The Media)
Here are the four perceived-hit questions Holt asked of Trump:
“Mr. Trump, we’re talking about the burden that American’s have to fay, yet you have not released your tax returns and the reason nominees have released their returns for decades is so voters will know if their potential president owes money to, who he owes it to and any business conflicts. Don’t American’s have a right to know if there are any conflicts of interest?”
“The IRS says an audit of your taxes — you’re perfectly free to release your taxes during an audit. so the question, does the public’s right to know outweigh your personal…?”
“Mr. Trump, for five years, you perpetuated a false claim of the nation’s first black President was not a natural-born citizen. You questioned his legitimacy. In the last couple of weeks you acknowledge what most Americans have accepted for years, the president was born in the United States. Can you tell us what took you so long?”
“Mr. Trump, this year Secretary Clinton became the first woman nominated for president by a major party. Earlier this month you said she doesn’t have, ‘a presidential look.’ She’s standing here right now. What did you mean by that?”