GOP debate moderator Martha MacCallum: 'The night is about the future of the country'

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Martha MacCallum previews RNC debate

Fox News' Martha MacCallum shares what to expect ahead of the first Republican National Committee primary debate in Milwaukee on 'Sunday Night In America.'

"Sunday Night in America" host Trey Gowdy offered viewers a unique behind-the-scenes glimpse into the upcoming Republican presidential primary debate with co-moderator and "The Story" anchor Martha MacCallum.

Fox News' Bret Baier and MacCallum will helm the Wednesday night debate, which will take place in Milwaukee starting at 9 p.m. ET and will air across FOX News Media’s platforms.

Gowdy asked MacCallum how she will decide what questions to ask and of whom. MacCallum shared that her strategy will focus on ensuring candidates articulate their visions for America's future. 

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"One of the things that you really want to accomplish here is to give people a chance to share with the audience what they would do to make the country better," MacCallum said. "And then you have to get at it from a political angle as well, because there's a lot of strategy that's involved in how one of these people is going to jockey themselves into being the contender, or one of maybe a couple of contenders who make it through the early stages of this process, starting with the debate, in order to get into that head-to-head position with the former president, Donald Trump."

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MacCallum added, "We really want people to walk away from the debate on Wednesday night feeling like they can have a better sense of all these people and maybe their eyes are open to one or two of them that they want to hear more from. I think that's honestly, that's the main goal, is to move this process forward in a way that people feel is edifying and that they are more interested in the morning after on Thursday."

Gowdy pointed out that politicians sometimes sidestep direct questions and not answer the question asked. MacCallum responded by emphasizing the importance of attentiveness for moderators.

"I think it's really important to listen because if you're not listening to the answer after you ask the question, you won't be attuned to whether or not they have dodged it. And I think a lot of times people really want to hear a yes or no answer," MacCallum said. "[We're] the person who's got to keep it on track and hold people to the question and make sure that the viewers and the voters, who are the most important part of the evening, are actually getting an answer to the question."

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Drawing a parallel to sports, Gowdy suggested the need for debate moderators to act like "judges and umpires" instead of athletes. MacCallum agreed and insisted the "night is about the future of the country," not the moderators.

"The night is not about us," MacCallum said. "The night is about how the Republican Party will choose their nominee and the focus really needs to be on these candidates."

MacCallum added, "Our job is to draw out of them in the most concise and challenging way how they would deal with the very serious issues that confront the country."

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Nine candidates have so far reached the polling and donor thresholds required by the Republican National Committee to qualify for the Milwaukee debate: Former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former Ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

Trump said on his social media app Truth Social Sunday he will "not be doing the debates."

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Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.