Chris Wallace debate ‘a terribly missed opportunity’

Do you care to explain? “No,” Mr. Wallace said. “Quoting the President, ‘This is it.'”

As a topic of discussion, Mr. Wallace is well aware of the complexity of his work: ensuring a comprehensive discussion, not taking sides, allowing candidates to express themselves while keeping the discussion substantial.

“You don’t want to – as I said from the beginning I want to be as invisible as possible, and let them talk – to grow to a level where you start to get more and more involved,” Mr. Wallace said. “First, say ‘please do not interrupt’, then ‘please follow the rules’ and third, ‘it is not serving the country well.’ All in real time, at that time, tough steps on that stage. ”

The Commission on Presidential Negotiations said Wednesday it would consider changes in the format of the remaining encounters this year between Mr Biden and Mr Trump, a clear sign of disappointment with the results on Tuesday evening. It took a lot of pain for the commission to appreciate Mr. Wallace’s “professionalism and expertise”.

The suggestion to give moderators the power to mute candidates’ microphones popular on social media within hours of the incident did not sit well with Mr. Wallace.

“As a matter of practice, even if the president’s microphone is shut down, he may still have interrupted, and it may have been taken into Biden’s microphone, and it would still have disrupted operations in the hall,” he said. .

He noted that cutting the audio feed of the presidential candidate was a consequence for many, and that some scholars would give credit for it. “People remember, a lot of people forget. Both of these candidates have the support of billions of Americans,” he said.

Steve Scully of C-Span is ready to moderate the next debate, with Florida voters asking a number of questions in town-hall format. Kristen Welker of NBC News moderated the final discussion. Mr Wallace’s advice: “If a man walks down this road, I hope you can understand what’s happening sooner than I do. I have no advance warning. ”