NBC's White House correspondent Kristen Welker, set to moderate the second and final presidential debate on Thursday, was once caught on a hot mic coaching Hillary Clinton’s communications director prior to a live interview during the 2016 presidential campaign.
“And I’m going to ask you about Flint,” Welker said on camera in March 2016 following a primary debate between Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders in Flint, Michigan.
MSNBC’s Ari Melber then prompted Welker: “Kristen, go ahead. You’re live. Kristen Welker in the spin room. I believe she has the Clinton communications director with her. Go ahead Kirsten."
“Ok thank you. I think this is his last question,” Welker continued without hesitation, ignoring the verbal cue. “You know we have Kristen Welker. We’re looking at her. She couldn’t quite hear me before. Can you hear me now if you can go ahead,” Melber urged as Welker finally responded.
According to an article written by the New York Post, Welker also has deep ties to the Democrat Party. While her current party registration is unlisted, she was a registered Democrat in Washington, DC, in 2012. Welker reportedly descends from an established Democratic family who have funded Trump opponents for years.
Her mother Julie Welker—a prominent real estate broker in Philadelphia—and father Harvey Welker—a consulting engineer—have donated tens of thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates and close to $20,000 to former President Barack Obama alone, Federal Election Commission reports cite.
$3,300 was also poured into Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign and $2,100 for Clinton’s failed run against now-President Donald Trump. An additional $7,300 was contributed to the Democratic National Committee between 2004 and 2020.
Welker's Facebook account reveals that her family celebrated Christmas at the White House with the Obamas in 2012.
On Thursday, Trump and Biden will face-off at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., follower last week's dueling town halls. The Commission on Presidential Debates canceled the second presidential square-off after Trump refused to participate in the virtual forum. C-SPAN’s Steve Scully was slated to host the event but has since been suspended by his employer after lying about his Twitter account being hacked.
