Trump proposes nixing moderators in favor of a debate with 'just Hillary and I sitting there talking'

Donald Trump wants a debate with no moderators.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 12 September 2016

Donald Trump's vision for the upcoming presidential debates doesn't include any moderators whatsoever. On the heels of widespread criticism of NBC's Matt Lauer, who hosted last week's Commander-in-Chief Forum, Trump proposed just getting rid of moderators entirely for the presidential debates between himself and Hillary Clinton. That way, Trump said, no one can be accused of going too easy on one candidate while shellacking another, like Lauer was.

"Let Hillary and I sit there and just debate," Trump said during an interview Monday with CNBC's Squawk Box. "I think the system is being rigged so it's going to be a very unfair debate. I can see it happening right now because everyone was saying 'he was soft on Trump,' well now the new person is going to try and be really hard on Trump just to show the establishment what he can do. I think it's very unfair what they are doing. So I think we should have a debate with no moderator, just Hillary and I sitting there talking."

Trump and Clinton will take the debate stage for the first time Sept. 26. Watch Trump's full explanation of the benefits of a freeform debate, starting at the 50-second mark below. Becca Stanek