Meet the moderators for tonight's VP debate, Norah O'Donnell and Margaret Brennan

1 week ago 30

The vice statesmanlike debate between Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz volition instrumentality spot connected Tuesday, hosted by CBS News successful New York. 

It is the archetypal and lone gathering betwixt the 2 vice statesmanlike candidates, and comes arsenic voters successful respective states person begun receiving their ballots for November's election.

The statement volition beryllium moderated by "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing exertion Norah O'Donnell and "Face the Nation" moderator and main overseas affairs analogous Margaret Brennan

There volition beryllium nary assemblage for the debate, and lone O'Donnell and Brennan volition beryllium asking questions. Here's what to cognize astir the moderators and however they're preparing:

How O'Donnell and Brennan prepared for tonight's VP debate

O'Donnell said the vice statesmanlike statement is simply a "unique accidental for the American nationalist to spot the 2 vice statesmanlike candidates statement the astir important issues for voters." 

"We admit the historical quality of these debates; and our extremity arsenic moderators is to guarantee a substantive and civilian speech that helps voters recognize much astir what tin beryllium analyzable argumentation positions," she said.

"Margaret and I are fortunate to enactment with the CBS News governmental squad and researchers to assistance hole for this debate," O'Donnell added. "They've worked with america to marque definite we person each the accusation we request for a substantive conversation."

Brennan said she thinks of moderating the statement "as a nationalist work to the viewer."

"We've been studying each campaign's views connected policies and the issues our CBS News polling amusement america radical attraction about," she said. "Our extremity is to springiness these 2 vice statesmanlike candidates opportunities to marque their lawsuit to the American radical and gully a opposition to the different connected the statement stage."

Brennan said preparing to mean the statement is "like cramming for a last exam," noting that it takes "a batch of reading, taking notes, talking it done with my colleagues astir however to trade a astute question." 

"We person an unthinkable squad who is moving with america to deliberation done the questions that bespeak what our ain CBS News polling tells america voters attraction astir up of November," she said.

The "Face the Nation" moderator said that preparing for the statement is akin successful immoderate ways to preparing for an interview, but antithetic successful cardinal respects.

"In some cases, I'm making definite that I'm afloat read-in connected the facts arsenic good arsenic the nuances of argumentation positions," she said. "But moderating a statement is simply a antithetic format from what I bash connected 'Face the Nation,' wherever I travel up, travel up and travel up again if I don't get an reply to my question, oregon if I consciousness similar an reply deserves further explanation. In a debate, determination is simply a look with hard time limits for Norah's and my questioning."

She added: "The intent is different, too. In a debate, we're performing a nationalist work and that is to tee up a speech successful which the candidates usage the clip themselves to marque their lawsuit astir wherefore their argumentation is champion for Americans — and wherefore their summons should beryllium elected."

What is Norah O'Donnell's background?

O'Donnell has earned aggregate Emmy Awards implicit her astir 3 decades of acquisition successful journalism. She is covering her eighth statesmanlike predetermination and has interviewed each surviving president of the United States. 

She has been anchor and managing exertion of the "CBS Evening News" since 2019, starring CBS News' flagship broadcast from Washington, D.C. O'Donnell precocious secured a historic interrogation with Pope Francis

O'Donnell has conducted interviews with newsmakers successful Washington and beyond for the "CBS Evening News," including President Biden's archetypal interrogation since taking office; an exclusive sit-down with Vice President Mike Pence aft the sidesplitting of Iranian subject commandant Qasem Soleimani; the first-ever interrogation with the 4 highest-ranking women successful the U.S. military; an exclusive interrogation with a erstwhile staffer for New York's then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo who alleged intersexual harassment; and more.

She besides contributes to "60 Minutes" and is the big of CBS News 24/7's "Person to Person." 

O'Donnell joined CBS News successful 2011 arsenic main White House analogous and was the co-anchor of "CBS This Morning" from 2012 to 2019.

She began her vocation arsenic a people newsman for Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper, earlier moving for much than a decennary astatine NBC News, wherever she covered the Pentagon, Congress and the White House. O'Donnell is simply a postgraduate of Georgetown University's College of Arts and Sciences. 

What is Margaret Brennan's background?

Brennan has been moderator of "Face the Nation" since 2018, erstwhile she became the 2nd pistillate to big the prestigious Sunday greeting nationalist affairs program. She has interviewed satellite leaders similar Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron, arsenic good arsenic legislature leaders including House Speakers Mike Johnson, Kevin McCarthy and Nancy Pelosi.

In 2023, "Face the Nation" was recognized with a Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence successful TV Political Journalism, citing Brennan's moderating attack arsenic "measured, wholly consistent, researched and prepared." 

Before becoming moderator of "Face the Nation," she held respective roles astatine CBS News, including State Department and White House correspondent. She remains the network's main overseas affairs correspondent.

She has covered historical moments specified arsenic the landmark atomic woody with Iran; restoration of diplomatic ties with Cuba; the standoff with North Korea; the struggle successful Ukraine; and the accord to transportation power of Syria's chemic weapons. She broke the quality that members of Trump's Cabinet were discussing invoking the 25th Amendment pursuing the Jan. 6 onslaught connected the U.S. Capitol, and her interrogation with McCarthy successful 2023 played a relation successful his ouster arsenic talker conscionable days later.

She began her vocation arsenic a shaper astatine CNBC and spent a decennary covering planetary fiscal markets earlier joining CBS News successful 2012. Brennan graduated from the University of Virginia successful 2002. 

CBS News volition big the lone planned vice statesmanlike statement betwixt Vance and Walz tonight astatine 9 p.m. ET connected CBS and CBS News 24/7. Download the escaped CBS News app for unrecorded coverage, post-debate analysis, broad information checks and more.

Read Entire Article