NBC News anchor Matt Lauer is taking a beating from critics for his performance moderating a forum with Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on Wednesday night.
His main flub: He failed to fact-check Trump's false claim that he opposed the Iraq War from the beginning.
Basically universal condemnation from journalists for Lauer letting Trump get away with Iraq War comments:
Trump lies about opposing Iraq war. Lauer lets it go. No follow up. Unreal.
I hate media-on-media violence, but Trump's support for the invasion of Iraq has been...rather well documented. No Lauer follow-up?
How can someone like @MLauer not set the record straight on Trump's bogus claim of being against the war in Iraq?
But Lauer also took heat for managing time poorly during Clinton's segment, focusing heavily on Clinton's emails at the beginning of the forum and appearing to rush her answers at certain points towards the end.
Matt Lauer more concerned to rush to the next question than listening to Clinton's answers. #NBCNewsForum
Lauer asked about emails for 10 minutes now wants to rush Sec Clinton in her answers on the military ....he is a joke.
Q: "How will you defeat ISIS" Matt Lauer: "As briefly as you can" Ok there Matt... #CinCForum
Lauer was also criticized for not following up with Clinton on her plans in Syria and the presence of ground troops in Iraq.
Lauer getting rightly whacked for Trump interview, but Clinton half also lame: Follow up on email but not Syria? Not ground troops in Iraq?
The general consensus: Lauer bombed.
I'm going to go back and double check but I'm pretty sure Matt Lauer just used the same questions for Trump from his Ryan Lochte interview.
If you weren’t satisfied with Matt Lauer’s performance, please state which cast member from Sharknado 3 would’ve done a better job
For days Ive been bemoaning horrific state of my profession, journalism, which traffics in idiocy & flotsam. Exhibit A: Matt Lauer @MLauer
One thing we can all agree on is that Matt Lauer is terrible. Bad format, I know, but still terrible
Probably a good thing that @MLauer won't be a debate moderator. #NBCNewsForum