Presidential debate moderators Lester Holt, Martha Raddatz, Anderson Cooper and Chris Wallace won't be permitted to wear earpieces at any of the upcoming face-offs between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the New York Post reports.
According to the Post's "Page Six" writer Carlos Greer, the Commission on Presidential Debates sent out a message to news organizations Thursday banning the devices that would let moderators get directions from their news teams.
NBC's "Today" anchor Matt Lauer wore an earpiece Sept. 7 when he conducted his widely criticized interviews of Clinton and Trump at the "Commander-in-Chief Forum,."
The Post reports Lauer, during his interviews, was supposedly pressured by NBC News chief Andy Lack to press Clinton on her e-mail scandal, but an NBC News spokesperson denied that, saying only an executive producer was talking to Lauer through the earpiece.
NBC News colleague Holt will moderate the first debate on Sept. 26, followed by ABC News' Raddatz and Cooper, who'll perform that function during the second debate Oct. 9; Fox News' Wallace will moderate the last debate Oct. 19.
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