Care to expand? “No,” Mr. Wallace said. “To quote the president, ‘That’s what it is.'”
In the spotlight, Mr. Wallace was very aware of the complexity of his work: ensuring a uniform discussion, avoiding taking sides, allowing candidates to express themselves by keeping the discussion important.
“You’re reluctant – someone who has said from the beginning that I want to be as invisible as possible, and enable them to talk – that’s where you start to work more and more,” Mr. Wallace said. “First to say, ‘Please don’t interfere,’ then ‘Please follow the rules,’ and third, ‘This country does not serve well.’ It’s all hard work at that time, at that stage, at that time. “
The Commission on Presidential Discussions said Wednesday it would investigate changes to the constitution for this year’s outstanding encounter between Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump, a clear sign of its frustration with Tuesday evening’s results. The commission also took pains to commend Mr. Valace for his “professionalism and skill.”
The suggestion that moderators would be given the power to mute candidates’ microphones – which are popular on social media in the hours following the incident – did not sit well with Mr Wallace.
“As a matter of fact, even if the president’s microphone had been turned off, it could have continued to interrupt, and it would probably have been taken over Biden’s microphone, and it would still have disrupted the proceedings of the chamber.” .
And he noted that cutting off the audio dio feed of the presidential candidate was a result-oriented act, to which some pundits attribute it. “People have to remember, and many forget, these two candidates have the support of millions of Americans,” he said.
Sea-Span’s Steve Schli is ready to moderate the next debate, in the town-hall format where Florida voters will ask many questions. NBC News’ Kristen Welker is the moderator for the final discussion. Mr Wallace’s advice: “If either man goes down this road, I hope you’ll realize what’s going on faster than I did. I didn’t have a warning in advance.”
