Presidential debate host Kristen Welker: 4 things you need to know

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President Trump is already attacking Thursday's presidential debate moderator, NBC News' Kristen Welker, who has served as the company's White House correspondent since 2011.

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"Kristen Welker is terrible," Trump told "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday. "She is totally partisan. Her father and mother are big supporters of Joe Biden. They're supporters of the Democrat Party."

Kristen Welker, NBC News White House Correspondent appears on "Meet the Press" in Washington, D.C., Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. (Photo by: William B. Plowman/NBC)

Welker's parents have donated tens of thousands of dollars to Democrats, including nearly $20,000 to former President Barack Obama.

Welker appears to be refraining from any response to the president's remarks ahead of the final debate, which will take place at Tennessee's Belmont University.

Here are four things to know about Welker:

1. She's a Philadelphia native

Welker grew up in Philadelphia's Fairmount neighborhood idolizing women like Andrea Mitchell, Barbara Walters and Oprah Winfrey, the Philly Voice reported. Welker was raised by her mother, Julie, a real estate agent, and her father, Harvey, an engineer. Welker's mother is Black, and her father is White.

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2. She's a Harvard grad

Welker, 44, graduated with honors from Harvard University in 1998 with a degree in history. Her articles for The Harvard Crimson, the school's daily student newspaper founded in 1873, can be viewed online. 

3. The New York Times detailed her love story with husband John Hughes

Welker married John Hughes, a marketing director at pharmaceutical company Merck, in 2017. The New York Times detailed their love story leading up to their picturesque wedding in Philadelphia in a story titled "For NBC's Kristen Welker, Love Took Its Time."

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The couple's friends set them up on a date in October 2014. She became smitten when Hughes gifted her a homemade crossword puzzle about U.S. presidents after their second date.

4. She'll ask questions about a range of topics at Thursday's debate

Welker is choosing to focus on fighting COVID-19, issues facing American Families, race in America, climate change, national security and leadership, the Commission on Presidential Debates said earlier in October.

This post has been updated to reflect that Welker's father is White, not Native American.