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| Lester Holt, Given a Choice Assignment, Opted for Restraint | Lester Holt, Given a Choice Assignment, Opted for Restraint |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Call him the minimalist moderator. | Call him the minimalist moderator. |
| Facing “knees buckling” scrutiny — his words — ahead of Monday evening’s presidential debate, Lester Holt of NBC, with the nation’s eyes (and the internet’s critics) upon him, opted to lie low. | Facing “knees buckling” scrutiny — his words — ahead of Monday evening’s presidential debate, Lester Holt of NBC, with the nation’s eyes (and the internet’s critics) upon him, opted to lie low. |
| He was silent for minutes at a time, allowing Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump to joust and bicker between themselves — and sometimes talk right over him — prompting some viewers to wonder if Mr. Holt had left the building. | He was silent for minutes at a time, allowing Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump to joust and bicker between themselves — and sometimes talk right over him — prompting some viewers to wonder if Mr. Holt had left the building. |
| But his reticence as moderator also gave viewers an unfiltered glimpse of the candidates: their views, speaking styles, and reactions under pressure. And Mr. Holt, amid a news media tempest over how aggressively a moderator should fact check candidates, took pains to reject Mr. Trump’s oft-repeated claim that he had initially opposed the Iraq war, telling the Republican nominee, “The record shows otherwise.” | But his reticence as moderator also gave viewers an unfiltered glimpse of the candidates: their views, speaking styles, and reactions under pressure. And Mr. Holt, amid a news media tempest over how aggressively a moderator should fact check candidates, took pains to reject Mr. Trump’s oft-repeated claim that he had initially opposed the Iraq war, telling the Republican nominee, “The record shows otherwise.” |
| Being less conspicuous often means attracting less criticism, and Mr. Holt’s conservative approach seemed designed to avoid the opprobrium that befell his NBC colleague, Matt Lauer, whose performance at a forum this month was widely panned after he repeatedly interrupted Mrs. Clinton and failed to challenge Mr. Trump. | Being less conspicuous often means attracting less criticism, and Mr. Holt’s conservative approach seemed designed to avoid the opprobrium that befell his NBC colleague, Matt Lauer, whose performance at a forum this month was widely panned after he repeatedly interrupted Mrs. Clinton and failed to challenge Mr. Trump. |
| On Monday, Mr. Holt, like a referee at a prizefight, stepped in only when necessary. The result, for the moderator, was a split decision. | On Monday, Mr. Holt, like a referee at a prizefight, stepped in only when necessary. The result, for the moderator, was a split decision. |
| “CNN Launches Manhunt After Lester Holt Vanishes From Debate,” The New Yorker declared in a parody piece by the humorist Andy Borowitz, published just halfway into the debate. Many observers on Twitter urged Mr. Holt to “do your job.” | “CNN Launches Manhunt After Lester Holt Vanishes From Debate,” The New Yorker declared in a parody piece by the humorist Andy Borowitz, published just halfway into the debate. Many observers on Twitter urged Mr. Holt to “do your job.” |
| Other pundits who had castigated Mr. Lauer seemed pleased with Mr. Holt’s performance. “Totally unobtrusive, but called out B.S. when it mattered,” wrote Dan Kennedy, a journalism professor at Northeastern University. Mr. Trump, speaking after the debate, said “Lester did a great job” — even as his Twitter account posted a complaint that questions about the Clinton Foundation and Mrs. Clinton’s involvement in the Benghazi attack did not arise during the encounter. | Other pundits who had castigated Mr. Lauer seemed pleased with Mr. Holt’s performance. “Totally unobtrusive, but called out B.S. when it mattered,” wrote Dan Kennedy, a journalism professor at Northeastern University. Mr. Trump, speaking after the debate, said “Lester did a great job” — even as his Twitter account posted a complaint that questions about the Clinton Foundation and Mrs. Clinton’s involvement in the Benghazi attack did not arise during the encounter. |
| Early Tuesday, some conservative groups criticized Mr. Holt, suggesting he posed tougher questions to Mr. Trump than Mrs. Clinton. | Early Tuesday, some conservative groups criticized Mr. Holt, suggesting he posed tougher questions to Mr. Trump than Mrs. Clinton. |
| Early on, Mr. Holt’s attempts to guide the discussion seemed to fizzle. First Mr. Trump interrupted his questions, and Mrs. Clinton, sensing little pushback on the moderator’s part, followed suit. Replies meant to last two minutes stretched on, and the candidates began to interrupt each other’s answers, a breach of decorum that is not uncommon in debates but typically brings a moderator’s rebuke. Mr. Holt held back. | |
| Later, Mr. Holt became more assertive. He asked Mrs. Clinton about her use of a private email server. He pressed Mr. Trump about why the candidate had not released his tax returns, and later questioned his embrace of the so-called birther movement, which claimed that President Obama had been born outside the United States. “For five years, you perpetuated a false claim,” Mr. Holt told Mr. Trump bluntly. | |
| Moderating a presidential debate is among the most coveted jobs in journalism, and Monday evening marked a pinnacle of Mr. Holt’s long career. | Moderating a presidential debate is among the most coveted jobs in journalism, and Monday evening marked a pinnacle of Mr. Holt’s long career. |
| But in the upside-down political world of 2016, Mr. Holt’s assignment seemed to engender more sympathy than envy. “Poor Lester Holt,” Leslie Stahl, the veteran CBS News correspondent, said last week on WNET-TV, shaking her head. “What a horrible position. Can he interrupt without the next day having everybody come down on his head?” | But in the upside-down political world of 2016, Mr. Holt’s assignment seemed to engender more sympathy than envy. “Poor Lester Holt,” Leslie Stahl, the veteran CBS News correspondent, said last week on WNET-TV, shaking her head. “What a horrible position. Can he interrupt without the next day having everybody come down on his head?” |
| Supporters of Mrs. Clinton had demanded that Mr. Holt aggressively call out false assertions. Brian Fallon, Mrs. Clinton’s press secretary, urged him to go after Mr. Trump, writing on Twitter that “it would be a thumb on scale” if he let falsehoods slide. | Supporters of Mrs. Clinton had demanded that Mr. Holt aggressively call out false assertions. Brian Fallon, Mrs. Clinton’s press secretary, urged him to go after Mr. Trump, writing on Twitter that “it would be a thumb on scale” if he let falsehoods slide. |
| Mr. Trump, meanwhile, declared that Mr. Holt “is going to hammer me, and I think that’s not the right thing to do.” Mr. Trump also implied that Mr. Holt could face a backlash if the candidate disapproved of his performance. | Mr. Trump, meanwhile, declared that Mr. Holt “is going to hammer me, and I think that’s not the right thing to do.” Mr. Trump also implied that Mr. Holt could face a backlash if the candidate disapproved of his performance. |
| “I think Lester Holt will be very fair,” Mr. Trump said at a rally last week, “but a lot of people will be watching to see if that’s true.” | “I think Lester Holt will be very fair,” Mr. Trump said at a rally last week, “but a lot of people will be watching to see if that’s true.” |
| Up to 100 million people may have watched, if predictions about debate viewership pan out. Social media posts during the debate revealed wide scrutiny of Mr. Holt’s every word, inflection and facial flicker. | Up to 100 million people may have watched, if predictions about debate viewership pan out. Social media posts during the debate revealed wide scrutiny of Mr. Holt’s every word, inflection and facial flicker. |
| “The rancor that’s infused this entire campaign is coming to a crescendo in this debate,” said Jonathan Klein, the former president of CNN. “Partisans on both sides don’t want a moderator as much as they want a prosecutor.” | “The rancor that’s infused this entire campaign is coming to a crescendo in this debate,” said Jonathan Klein, the former president of CNN. “Partisans on both sides don’t want a moderator as much as they want a prosecutor.” |
| Mr. Holt’s previous debate experience was light at best. He oversaw a primary debate between the Democratic candidates, but it was before relations between Mrs. Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders became icy. His most recent debate before that was in 2004. | Mr. Holt’s previous debate experience was light at best. He oversaw a primary debate between the Democratic candidates, but it was before relations between Mrs. Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders became icy. His most recent debate before that was in 2004. |
| Mr. Holt, 57, is an NBC journeyman with stints at a Chicago affiliate and at MSNBC, and last year became the first African-American to be the solo anchor of an evening news broadcast, after the ouster of Brian Williams. At NBC, he earned the nickname “Iron Pants” for marathon stretches at the anchor’s desk during breaking news. | Mr. Holt, 57, is an NBC journeyman with stints at a Chicago affiliate and at MSNBC, and last year became the first African-American to be the solo anchor of an evening news broadcast, after the ouster of Brian Williams. At NBC, he earned the nickname “Iron Pants” for marathon stretches at the anchor’s desk during breaking news. |
| Before Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump appeared on Monday evening, Mr. Holt walked onstage and announced to the crowd at Hofstra University that he intended to facilitate a conversation between the candidates. “It’ll be the three of us,” Mr. Holt added, “and hopefully just the two of them.” | Before Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump appeared on Monday evening, Mr. Holt walked onstage and announced to the crowd at Hofstra University that he intended to facilitate a conversation between the candidates. “It’ll be the three of us,” Mr. Holt added, “and hopefully just the two of them.” |
| He was true to his word, for better and for worse. | He was true to his word, for better and for worse. |