I’m assuming...but I imagine each person in the audience submits a question ahead of time, and the producers pick the ones they like. The questions they submit likely contain biographical information, and this is how the woman with the microphone could rattle off their name, rank, political affiliation, etc so quickly.
So yes Lauer and the producers absolutely know what questions are coming.
Now Hillary filibustered too much, and Lauer kept trying to get her to hurry. But why? I assume that they weren’t able to get to what were supposed to be some of her ‘best’ questions/answers, due to time.
Yes they probably do screen the questions but still, isn’t it odd that Lauer had such a perfect “gotcha” follow up for that question, when the lead off question by the serviceman at the beginning to Hillary about her email insanity went unfollowed? I mean it wouldn’t have been that difficult to find a gotcha follow up to THAT. That is of course if Lauer wasn’t in the tank for the Beast.