Kristen Welker's mother Julie reveals the trait that will make her daughter the perfect debate moderator
All eyes are on NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker as she gears up to moderate the second and final 2020 presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee on Thursday, October 22, from 8 pm to 9:30 pm CDT. Though a lot of Donald Trump’s supporters as well as the president himself have cast doubt on her neutrality and ability, there is one person who has complete trust in her. She is none other than Welker’s mother, Julie, who thinks her daughter is the right one for the job.
Recalling the time when the 44-year-old co-anchor of 'Weekend TODAY' got the call for moderating the debate, her mother told The Philadelphia Tribune: “It’s funny because it was right before Labor Day, and Kristen was visiting at that time. She was actually at my home when the Debate Commission called her. It was amazing and we got to celebrate with her.” Welker's selection as a moderator is also special because she will be the first Black woman to carry out the role after Carole Simpson who moderated the presidential debate back in 1992.
Julie, who is a real estate agent, said that she would have liked to be present at the venue to witness the debate, but because of the coronavirus pandemic, she will watch it on television. “We would have gone except for COVID-19 because we were invited to be there. We were at the primary debate she did when she was one of the four women moderators. We were there then and we would definitely have been here now if not for COVID,” she stated while adding that her daughter’s talent and capabilities will help her well in conducting the final presidential debate.
“She’s very knowledgeable when it comes to the issues because she has been White House correspondent during both the Obama years and Trump years. She’s not an opinion reporter. She’s not a talking head. She is a true journalist, so she wants to bring the information and answers to the American people. That’s her mission. She is calm under pressure. And very, very patient,” Julie noted.
In addition, the mother also mentioned a statement that the POTUS made during the first presidential debate with Joe Biden. Trump had said at the time that “bad things happen in Philadelphia.” Julie joked that it is great that a “Philly girl” is the moderator of the second debate while calling her the best for the job. “She was always a talker. She liked to have the news and spread the news. So I guess that was an indication. She was always interested in the news, even when she was in lower school and high school and college,” the mother said.
However, with all the encouraging words for Kristen, her mother also gave her some advice since she will be facing a tough situation. “I told her to just be herself. She’s a wonderful journalist. She’s focused on having the truth be known and be told. And she will be very equal in her handling of the debate,” she explained.
For Julie, as reported, her excitement was beyond any bound. She said on a scale of 1-10, she would give herself 2,000 for being excited about her daughter’s achievement. “I may be biased but she’s very talented. She’s very intelligent. She’s very aware and she’s very sincere. The Kristen that you see on TV is who she is,” she concluded.