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Savannah Guthrie: Who is the town hall moderator who held Trump to task?

Television host is married to former Al Gore political operative

Graeme Massie
Los Angeles
Friday 16 October 2020 20:24 BST
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"You're not someone's crazy uncle": Savannah Guthrie challenges Trump over Bin Laden conspiracy

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Today show host Savannah Guthrie won rave social media reviews on Thursday night for her tough handling of Donald Trump’s latest town hall on NBC.

The journalist was involved in a string of testy exchanges with the president as she pushed him for answers on his coronavirus response, white supremacy and QAnon.

At a Florida campaign rally on 16 October, the day after the town hall, Mr Trump called Ms Guthrie "totally crazy" in her attempts to moderate the event. 

During the town hall she chided the president for his habit of recklessly retweeting misinformation, reminding him he is the president and not “someone’s crazy uncle.”

Australian-born Ms Guthrie is married to former Democratic political aide Michael Feldman, with whom she has two children.

Mr Feldman served as Al Gore’s traveling chief of staff during the 2000 election campaign and is the founding partner and managing director of a communications and advocacy firm.

He founded the firm The Glover Park Group with fellow Gore campaign advisors Carter Eskew and Chip Smith, as well as former White House press secretary Joe Lockhart.

Ms Guthrie has worked for NBC in a string of roles since 2007 when she joined as a legal analyst after being the national correspondent for CourtTV.

The broadcaster covered Sarah Palin’s 2008 vice presidential campaign before being named the NBC News White House correspondent later that year.

After filling in as co-host on the Today Show she then became a full-time host in the 9am hour.

But she was catapulted to national fame when she became the show’s co-anchor alongside Matt Lauer in 2012 following the acrimonious departure of Ann Curry.

When Mr Lauer was forced to resign in 2017 amid sexual misconduct allegations she and Hoda Kotb became the hosts of the Today Show.

Ms Guthrie fought back tears live on the air as she announced Mr Lauer’s departure, calling the allegations against him “shocking and appalling.”

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