Who is Martha MacCallum?

The first Republican presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle has arrived on Fox News, with network mainstay Martha MacCallum serving as one of the moderators.

But before you dig into the candidates who will be there — like Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Vice President Mike Pence and Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) — here is everything you need to know about moderator MacCallum.

Education and early career

MacCallum received her bachelor's degree from St. Lawrence University in New York and also earned a graduate diploma from Circle in the Square Theatre School, which is the only accredited conservatory attached to a Broadway theater.

Her national journalism career began at Wall Street Journal Television where she worked as a news correspondent and anchor from 1991 to 1996.

From there, MacCallum moved on to similar roles at NBC and CNBC, often contributing to The News with Brian Williams and other programs before becoming co-anchor of CNBC’s Morning Call With Martha MacCallum and Ted David, until she left for Fox News in 2004.

Fox News work

After joining Fox News, MacCallum found herself hosting The Live Desk from 2006 to 2010 and then America’s Newsroom from 2010 to 2017. From there she moved to evenings, after the departure of Megyn Kelly, with The First 100 Days. That would eventually turn into her current show, The Story With Martha MacCallum, which moved time slots from 7 p.m. ET to 3 p.m. ET in January of this year.

She has also filled in as host of other programs such as The Faulkner Focus, Outnumbered and The Five.

MacCallum has made a few headlines while working at Fox News, including when she referred to the storming of the U.S. Capital as “a huge victory” for pro-Trump supporters, and later, when she compared the same event to a peaceful protest outside Josh Hawley's home a few days earlier.

Political coverage and other work

MacCallum, a two-time recipient of the Gracie Award for Women in Journalism, moderated Wednesday’s debate alongside fellow Fox News host Bret Baier, with whom she has co-anchored the network's coverage of major political events dating back to 2018.

MacCallum also co-moderated two undercard Republican presidential debates during the 2016 cycle for Fox News Channel and has co-hosted various town hall events along the way for the network as well.

She published a book in 2021 called Unknown Valor, assisted by Ronald J. Drez, which brings together personal stories of several United States Marines into the larger story of the Pacific Campaign of WWII.

While several of the top candidates were at the debate on Wednesday, former President Donald Trump announced that he would not participate, a move MacCallum recently called “a gift” to other candidates during an interview on Fox News Radio.