Fox News Anchor Calls Out Trump Adviser's Claim About Debate Moderator Kristen Welker

Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer  corrected Trump campaign senior adviser Mercedes Schlapp  on Thursday after she called NBC’s Kristen Welker, the moderator of the final presidential debate, a “bit of an activist.”

Hemmer asked Schlapp what the public could expect from President Donald Trump as he faces off against his Democratic opponent Joe Biden , and whether Trump will go after Welker. Trump repeatedly interrupted and talked over Fox News’ Chris Wallace when he moderated the previous debate and claimed that the journalist from the conservative network was biased against him.

“We’ll see what happens. What we know about the moderator is she’s a bit of an activist, and we want a fair debate. We want the tough questions to come up on both sides,” Schlapp said. 

“Sorry, she’s a reporter,” Hemmer interrupted his guest. “She’s a reporter. She’s not an activist.”

“Well, if you would consider, she worked for NBC and she worked for MSNBC , which I would say is not necessarily fair and balanced like other stations that we know,” Schlapp replied. 

“Well, she covers the White House,” Hemmer interrupted. 

Schlapp argued that Welker’s been “highly critical of the president” and then changed gears to say her boss plans to bring up accusations against Biden’s son Hunter at the debate.

Hemmer’s interruption was brief, but it set him apart from others on the conservative network, who attacked Welker this week after a New York Post article accused her of having “deep Democratic ties” because her parents donated to the party and because she was photographed with the Obamas at a White House Christmas party.

Similar to his strategy ahead of the first debate, Trump has apparently been doing preemptive damage control by bashing the moderator. He insisted earlier this week that Welker is “terrible and unfair” even though he had previously agreed to her as a moderator. Trump’s senior campaign adviser Jason Miller said on Fox News just last week that Welker is a very fair journalist who he thinks will do an “excellent job.”