Fox News figure Chris Wallace finally had the chance to air out his side on what went on during the first Presidential Debate.
Chris Wallace also took many bullets of criticism after the first Presidential Debate. Critics pointed out that the news icon had lost control over the event.
As televised and streamed globally, the debate was full over interjection by one party to another. Wallace, in fact, received a fair share of interjections from President Donald Trump.
As CNN reports, Wallace points the blame on the current POTUS’ actions for the overall result of the debate. He believes that Trump “bears the primary responsibility for what happened.”
Wallace did not expect debate to “go off the tracks”
Speaking with The New York Times, Fox News Sunday anchor expressed his sentiments on the results of the debate.
“I never dreamt that it would go off the tracks the way it did,” Wallace told the publication.
As repeatedly highlighted beforehand, Wallace was even having a hard time finishing his first question to President Trump. He kept getting interrupted.
He is saddened as to how the event ended. His disappointment. wasn’t more on what he had or had not done to avoid such results. Instead, he is saddened by the citizens of the country.
“I’m just disappointed with the results. For me, but much more importantly, I’m disappointed for the country, because it could have been a much more useful evening than it turned out to be,” Wallace expressed.
CNN further quotes Wallace’s frustrations, saying:
“It was frustrating for me because I tried hard to prepare for a serious debate, much more frustrating and more importantly for the American people because they didn’t get the debate they wanted that they deserved.”
When asked about rewatching the debate, his answer was multiple “no’s.” He expressed that it took him four years to rewatch the 2016 debate, which he actually enjoyed.
Watching the 2020 Presidential debate would, accordingly, take a while for him to do.
Thoughts on muting candidate’s microphones
Furthermore, Wallace was asked about his thoughts on the possibility of muting the candidates’ microphones once the allotted time to speak is finished.
As previously reported, the Commission on Presidential Debates is set to form “additional structures” to the rest of the debate sessions. However, as of this writing, the content of that structure is yet to be revealed.
Chris talked with @HemmerReports today about possible changes from the Commission on Presidential Debates #FoxNews #Debates2020 pic.twitter.com/5cGCUDC73Q
— Fox News Sunday (@FoxNewsSunday) October 1, 2020
One of the highly suggested recommendations is the muting of the microphone. Wallace believes that it may still have been ineffective for President Trump.
“As a practical matter, even if the president’s microphone had been shut, he still could have continued to interrupt, and it might well have been picked up on Biden’s microphone, and it still would have disrupted the proceedings in the hall,” he cites theoretical situation.
Despite the criticisms thrown at him, The CPD and the Fox News execs lauded Wallace for maintaining professionalism.
Moreover, Steve Scully of C-SPAN is tasked to moderate the next debate. It is originally slated on October 15.
As of this writing, it is still uncertain how the schedule will be affected considering the president will undergo quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19.
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