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Presidential Debate Moderators Announced

5 networks represented in 3 presidential, 1 vice presidential debates

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has questioned some of the dates of the three presidential debates. (Al Drago/CQ Roll Call file photo)
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has questioned some of the dates of the three presidential debates. (Al Drago/CQ Roll Call file photo)

The Commission on Presidential Debates on Friday announced the moderators for the four debates for the general election.

“NBC Nightly News” anchor Lester Holt will moderate the first debate between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, on Sept. 26.

The second debate, in a town hall format on Oct. 9 at Washington University in St. Louis, will be moderated by ABC News chief global affairs correspondent Martha Raddatz, who moderated the vice presidential debate in 2012, and CNN’s Anderson Cooper.

Fox News host Chris Wallace will moderate the third debate, on Oct. 19 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The format will be identical to the first debate.

[Debate Prep: Can Trump Score a ‘Knockout’ This Fall?]

The vice presidential debate between Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine and Indiana GOP Gov. Mike Pence will be moderated by CBS News correspondent Elaine Quijano.

The formats for the debates were published on July 7. Here’s a look at when the debate dates were announced and when the moderators were selected in recent elections:

2012: The formats was announced July 7 and moderators were announced on Aug. 13. 

2008: The formats for the debates were announced almost a year before the election, on Nov. 19, 2007. The candidates agreed to the debates on Aug. 21, 2008, which included the moderators. The finalized formats including moderators were announced on Sept. 21.

2004: The formats were announced on June 17; moderators were announced on Aug. 13, about the same gap as this year’s.

2000: Proposed venue and dates were announced Jan. 6; final schedule with moderators announced Sept. 14.

Hira Qureshi contributed to this report.

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