MSNBC host Chuck Todd has a past connection with one of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates who appeared on the debate stage this week.
A new report revealed that Todd, who moderated the Democrat debate in Las Vegas on Wednesday, was once Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s landlord.
A three-bedroom Arlington, Virginia home owned by Todd was reportedly once rented by the Minnesota Democrat and her attorney husband, John Bessler, according to the New York Post’s Page Six.
Neither Todd nor MSNBC disclosed any past connection between the “Meet the Press” moderator and the lawmaker, though a source told the outlet that “it’s not a secret among Beltway insiders that Todd rented the home to Klobuchar.”
The couple reportedly rented the home in 2008 and have since moved out, though it was not clear when they left.
According to Page Six:
A 2008 report by the Star Tribune on where Minnesota reps live said at the time that Klobuchar and Bessler moved into a 3-bedroom Arlington rental home from a smaller apartment to accommodate family visitors.
Klobuchar and her husband reportedly paid “$3,200/month, plus utilities” for the home, which online listings indicated has 3.5 bathrooms and is about 3,000 square feet.
“Before moving in May to provide more room for ‘visiting grandparents,’ Klobuchar and her family rented a two-bedroom apartment in northern Virginia for $2,800 a month,” the Star Tribune reported at the time.
While the couple still maintained their Minnesota home, according to the article, the typical workweek for them was made up of “four to five days in D.C., with one family weekend each month in Arlington.”
Wednesday’s debate saw a fiery night of infighting among the Democratic candidates with billionaire former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg getting slammed from all sides.
Though the Page Six article noted that “luckily none of the questions at the Democratic debate were over damage deposits or leaky sinks,” referring to Todd’s rental home, Bloomberg and Sen. Bernie Sanders did trade jabs over their own residences.
“What a wonderful country we have. The best known socialist in the country happens to be a millionaire with three houses. What did I miss here?” Bloomberg fired back after a dig from the Vermont senator.
Bernie defends his swanky ‘summer camp’ when Bloomberg shames ‘best-known socialist’ for having 3 homes https://t.co/8Ub3vMKzQg
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) February 20, 2020
Despite her third-place finish in New Hampshire, Klobuchar seemed to falter in Wednesday’s debate, as she sparred with former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and fought off attacks by her opponents.
CNN’s Chris Cillizza simply said it was “not her night” as her performance “seemed too hokey and too forced.”
“After winning the New Hampshire debate with her bold, energetic performance, Klobuchar was brought down by her gaffe of forgetting Mexican President López Obrador’s name,” New York Times contributing op-ed writer, Wajahat Ali wrote. “Buttigieg exploited it all night long. She fought back, hiding rage behind a smile, but she was clearly rattled.”
News of Klobuchar’s connection to the debate moderator on Wednesday sparked plenty of reactions on social media.
The fix is in…these people all know each other and help each other…should have been moderating her last night?https://t.co/bTds2iqp1H
— Brian Craig (@BrianCraigShow) February 20, 2020
Well well… https://t.co/oQM45XhHBi
— Braden Paine (@What_Universe) February 21, 2020
This is disgusting.. Chuck Todd had a “conflict of interest” at Wednesday’s @DemocraticDebate and should not have allowed to participate. Where is the outrage? https://t.co/if9wPbdSGo
— Jerry Rosen (@Shortrosen) February 21, 2020
Imagine that, small world apparently.https://t.co/wbewRr3oGi
— James Plowman (@plowmanj3) February 21, 2020
Chuck’s wife was working for Bernie in the 2016 and he never disclosed it. No wonder he’s so biased. https://t.co/2bNtVe1xOC
— ??? ??????? ???? ?? (@TeeTweetsHere) February 21, 2020
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