There were high expectations as NBC News headed into what was referred to as a preliminary debate between the two presidential candidates. But for many the "Commander-in-Chief Forum" that aired on MSNBC on Sept. 7 crumbled in the hands of its host, the longtime "Today" show anchor, Matt Lauer.
Clinton supporters and many journalists lambasted Lauer for not pushing Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump on his statement that he had always been against the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Instead of following up by referencing one of the many debunkings of this remark, Lauer moved on to the next question.
Criticism of Lauer, one of NBC’s best-known personalities, boils down to criticism of the network itself. So far, NBC and parent company Comcast have been quiet in the aftermath of the "Commander-in-Chief Forum." While this isn't a reputational issue on the scale of the one the network had with anchor Brian Williams, once again an NBC News personality has become the story, and not in a good way.
Lauer’s conduct while interviewing Hillary Clinton also came under scrutiny as accusations of sexism arose from his interruptions of the candidate.
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