Anderson Cooper Selected as Presidential Debate Moderator

East Ender and renowned CNN newsman Anderson Cooper has been named as one of the moderators for the upcoming presidential debates, alongside NBC anchor Lester Holt, ABC News’ Martha Raddatz and Fox News’ Chris Wallace.

The first debate between Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate and frequent East End visitor Hillary Clinton, which will be held on Monday, September 26, will be moderated by Holt and take place at Hofstra University in Hempstead. Raddatz and Cooper are set to moderate the town hall debate at Washington University on Sunday, October 9, and Wallace will moderate the final debate on Wednesday, October 19. This will be the first time any of them have moderated a presidential debate.

Cooper is not a surprising choice, given his prominence on CNN and his astute political knowledge. Cooper will also be the first openly gay man to moderate a presidential debate—which could prove interesting, given Trump’s shaky stance on LGBTQIA issues. This is also the first time a Fox News anchor has been selected as a moderator for a national general election debate.

It’s a bit more serious than his annual New Year’s Eve coverage with Kathy Griffin, but we’re excited to see Cooper, a longtime Hamptonite, moderate such an important event.