The Real Star of the Presidential Debates

TV journalist Kristen Welker

Last Thursday, President Donald Trump and Vice President Joe Biden went head-to-head in the final presidential debate of the election cycle. But the real winner wasn’t one of the two men standing behind a podium—it was the moderator keeping them in check.

NBC anchor and White House correspondent Kristen Welker stole the show last week as the moderator of a far more coherent and less chaotic debate stage. Welker, the first Black woman to moderate a general-election presidential debate since 1992, delivered exactly what many felt Chris Wallace had lacked in the previous presidential showdown. Welker asked the tough questions—pressing the presidential candidates to answer questions surrounding relief bill negotiations in Washington to the pained “talk” that Black parents must have with their children to keep them safe. Most notably, Welker quelled interruptions, offering the candidates a few seconds to respond to their opponent’s claims before reminding them “we need to move on.”

Welker’s presence was not only a breath of fresh air during a particularly stressful election season, but an inspiration. Male ally Justin Baldoni shared this tweet that warmed our hearts and has us ready to keep pushing for representation of women in politics!

Take Action! Use our hashtag #RepresentHer to demand better representation for women in politics. And check out our latest documentary The Great American Lie to learn more about how gender impacts American policies.