Fox News journalist regularly insulted by Trump among moderators named for presidential debates

The so-called "nasty and obnoxious" Fox News journalist repeatedly targeted by Donald Trump has been named moderator of an upcoming presidential debate against Joe Biden.

Chris Wallace, of Fox News Sunday, will moderate the first of three debates, followed by C-Span's political editor Steve Scully and NBC's White House correspondent Kristen Welker. CNN will not have a moderator for the first time since 2008.

In a recent interview, Mr Wallace joked with the president about his "mean tweets" attacking the anchor as a "Mike Wallace wannabe" who will never be like his father.

"Some people were surprised when you agreed to this interview... especially because some of the mean tweets you've said about me," Mr Wallace said in the July interview.

At a campaign rally in New Hampshire on Friday, Mr Trump continued his apparent feud with the veteran journo after Mr Wallace criticised the president's speech accepting the Republican nomination for president as flat, lacking in excitement and too long.

Mr Trump said he got "great reviews" on his speech except for Mr Wallace, who would never be like his father because of a "lack of talent".

"Then one person, I think it was Chris Wallace, nice guy he's actually a nice guy. He said that ah, 'he didn't have the same energy in the speech that he usually has'," Mr Trump said.

"Well, it's a different kind of speech. You see actually Chris, who has always wanted to be his father, but it never worked out because of a lack of talent, actually, Chris has it wrong. If I did last night's speech here, by now you would have all been walking out."

Mr Wallace will moderate the first debate on 29 September in Cleveland, Ohio. He is returning to the chair after moderating Mr Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016, which was the first time a Fox News anchor had been selected to oversee a debate in the general election.

While Mr Trump has yet to react to the selections, his communications director, Tim Murtaugh, issued a statement claiming some of the moderators "can be identified as clear opponents of President Trump" and that Mr Biden "will actually have a teammate onstage."

Watch video below

"These are not the moderators we would have recommended if the campaign had been allowed to have any input," Mr Murtaugh said in a statement on Wednesday.

"One thing is sure: Chris Wallace's selection ensures that Biden will finally see him face-to-face after dodging his interview requests. That is, if Biden actually shows up,"

While senior Democratic leaders like Nancy Pelosi have been urging Mr Biden not to debate, he said at a campaign stop on Wednesday he was looking forward to the event, while proposing a "crawler" on screens for it to be "instantly fact-checked by an agreed-to group of people".

Campaign spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement that Mr Biden looks forward to participating "regardless of who the independently chosen moderators are".

The second debate will be held in Miami, Florida on 15 October, moderated by Mr Scully, and the final debate will be held in Nashville, Tennessee on 22 October to be moderated by Ms Welker.

USA Today's Washington bureau chief, Susan Page, will moderate the vice-presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris on 7 October.

"We are grateful to these experienced journalists, who will help ensure that the general election presidential debates continue to serve their unique educational purpose of helping the public learn about the candidates," the Commission on Presidential Debates said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Each individual brings great professionalism to moderating and understands that the purpose of the 2020 debate formats is to facilitate in-depth discussion of major topics."

Read more

Joe Biden ‘hit a home run’ with strong DNC speech, Fox News hosts say

Five wildest moments from this year's Republican National Convention

Trump 'profoundly' accepts nomination in rambling RNC speech

Mike Wallace: Host of '60 Minutes' famed for his tough interviews

Presidential debate: Who is the moderator Chris Wallace?