Chris Wallace facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chris Wallace
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Wallace at the premiere of Good Night, and Good Luck in 2025
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Christopher Wallace
October 12, 1947 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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| Education | Harvard University (BA) |
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| Years active | 1964–present |
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Notable credit(s)
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| Political party | Democratic |
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| Children | 6 |
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Christopher Wallace (born October 12, 1947) is a famous American journalist. He is known for his strong and wide-ranging interviews. Many compare him to his father, the well-known journalist Mike Wallace.
Chris Wallace has worked in journalism for over 60 years. He has been a reporter, host, or anchor for major news networks like CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox News, and CNN. In 2018, he was named one of America's most trusted TV news anchors. He has won many awards, including three Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award.
When he was a teenager, Wallace helped journalist Walter Cronkite at a big political meeting in 1964. After college, he worked for a newspaper before moving to TV news. He became a White House reporter and hosted shows like NBC Nightly News and Meet the Press. He also worked for ABC, hosting Primetime Thursday and Nightline. He is the only person to have hosted more than one major American Sunday morning political talk show.
From 2003 to 2021, Wallace hosted Fox News Sunday. He interviewed important leaders like Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Vladimir Putin. He made history in 2016 by being the first Fox News journalist to host a U.S. Presidential debate. He hosted another debate in 2020. In 2021, he joined CNN to host his own interview show, Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?, and The Chris Wallace Show. He left CNN in November 2024.
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Early Life and Education
Chris Wallace was born in Chicago, Illinois. His parents were Mike Wallace, a reporter for CBS 60 Minutes, and Norma Kaphan. Both of his parents were Jewish. He was named Christopher because he was born on Columbus Day. He had an older brother, Peter, who sadly died in a mountain climbing accident when he was 19.
His parents divorced when he was one year old. Chris grew up with his mother and his stepfather, Bill Leonard. Bill Leonard was the president of CBS News. He helped Chris get an early start in journalism. He hired Chris to help Walter Cronkite at the 1964 Republican National Convention. Chris did not get to know his father, Mike, until he was 14.
Wallace went to the Hotchkiss School and then Harvard College. He first reported news on the student radio station at Harvard, WHRB. He famously covered a student protest in 1969. He was even held by police and used his one phone call to report from jail.
Career Journey in Journalism
Starting Out: The Boston Globe
Chris Wallace was accepted into law school, but he chose to work for The Boston Globe newspaper instead. His boss there called him a "driven and eager reporter." He first covered city hall in Boston. Later, he became a national reporter, traveling around the country.
Wallace realized how powerful television news was at political meetings in 1972. He saw that all the reporters were watching the events on TV, not in person. For a short time in the early 1970s, he worked for a TV station in Chicago called WBBM-TV.
Joining Network News: NBC (1975–1988)
After seeing the impact of TV news, Chris Wallace decided to work in broadcast journalism. He joined NBC in 1975 and stayed there for 14 years. He started as a reporter in New York City. Then, he moved to NBC's office in Washington D.C. as a political reporter.
He later became a co-anchor for the Today show in 1982. In the same year, he became the chief White House correspondent. He reported from the White House until 1989. He also hosted the Sunday edition of NBC Nightly News and was the host of Meet the Press.
In 1985, Wallace interviewed President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan. Wallace is known for his direct interview style. In 1987, he asked President Reagan tough questions about a situation where the U.S. traded arms for hostages. In 1988, he interviewed Donald Trump about possibly running for political office.
Moving to ABC News (1989–2003)
Chris Wallace left NBC in late 1988 to join ABC. Another journalist, Sam Donaldson, was happy that Wallace was joining ABC. At ABC News, Wallace was a senior reporter for Primetime Live. He also sometimes hosted Nightline.
During the Gulf War in 1991, he reported from Tel Aviv about missile attacks. The Israeli government did not want to share exact locations where missiles landed. On one show, Wallace started to describe a specific location. The host, Ted Koppel, stopped him and asked him to point to a general area instead.
Hosting Fox News Sunday and Presidential Debates (2003–2021)
Fox News Sunday
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After 14 years at ABC, Wallace joined Fox News in 2003. He started hosting Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. He and another journalist, Shepard Smith, became known for their strong reporting at Fox. Wallace said that he votes for the person, not just a party. He has voted for both Republicans and Democrats.
During his 18 years at Fox, Wallace covered many big political events. He also interviewed many important leaders. In 2009, he conducted Fox's first interview with President Barack Obama. In 2016, he helped host a Republican Presidential debate. In 2017, he interviewed President Donald Trump for the first time after Trump was elected.
Debates and Interviews
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Chris Wallace was chosen to host the third and final Presidential debate in 2016. This debate was between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. It was the first time a Fox News anchor hosted a general election presidential debate. Wallace said his job was not to check facts, but for the candidates to challenge each other. He felt it was a very serious job, helping millions of people decide who to vote for.
Many people praised Wallace for his tough questions to both candidates in the 2016 debate. The New York Times said he used humor and patience to guide the debate.
Interview with Vladimir Putin (2018)
In July 2018, Wallace interviewed Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Wallace asked Putin why many of his political opponents had died. He also tried to give Putin papers about Russian agents interfering in the 2016 election, but Putin did not touch them. Many people praised Wallace's interview. It earned him an Emmy Award nomination.
Covering Important Events In September 2018, Wallace covered the Supreme Court hearings for Brett Kavanaugh. During these hearings, serious accusations were made. Wallace described one witness's testimony as "extremely emotional" and "extremely credible." He also talked about how his own daughters had shared their past experiences with him. He said that people should not ignore serious claims.
In January 2020, Wallace had a strong discussion with a political commentator about whether more witnesses should be allowed in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump. Wallace insisted on getting the facts straight.
Interview with Donald Trump (2020) On July 19, 2020, Wallace interviewed President Donald Trump outside the White House. This interview got a lot of attention. Wallace was praised for holding Trump accountable and checking his facts during the interview. For example, Wallace corrected Trump's claim that Joe Biden wanted to "defund and abolish" the police. He also challenged Trump's statements about the COVID-19 pandemic. Many compared Wallace's interview style to his father's.
First Presidential Debate (2020) Wallace was chosen to host the first presidential debate in 2020. This debate was between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Many news experts called the debate a "disaster" because it lacked order and politeness. Wallace tried many times to control the debate. He even stopped it to ask the candidates to interrupt less.
After the debate, Wallace shared his frustration. He said that Trump was mainly responsible for what happened. He felt it was frustrating for him and for the American people, who did not get the debate they deserved. Some viewers accused Wallace of being unfair to Trump. However, Fox News executives praised Wallace for his "professionalism" in a difficult situation.
2020 U.S. Presidential Election On November 3, 2020, Wallace was part of Fox News' election night coverage. He defended the network's decision to announce that Joe Biden had won Arizona. This was despite pressure from Trump. Later that night, Trump said he had won the election early, even though not enough votes were counted. Trump also said he wanted "all the voting to stop."
Wallace reacted on air, saying, "This is an extremely dangerous situation and the president just threw a match into it." He explained that Trump had not won those states yet and that the president cannot just say he won. Wallace also said that stopping votes from being counted was "extremely irresponsible."
Moving to CNN and Departure (2022–2024)
On December 12, 2021, Chris Wallace announced that it was his last day hosting Fox News Sunday. He then joined CNN to host a new interview show called Who's Talking to Chris Wallace? for their streaming service. Wallace said the show was inspired by famous interviewers like Larry King and his father, Mike Wallace.
Wallace had told Fox management that he was uncomfortable with some of the things said by other hosts, especially about the January 6 United States Capitol attack and the 2020 election results. He said the work environment at Fox became "increasingly difficult" for him after the 2020 election. In 2024, he said he left Fox because he had enough of their "lies" and "conspiracies."
CNN's streaming service was shut down in April 2022. However, Who's Talking to Chris Wallace? continued on CNN and HBO Max. In its first season, Wallace interviewed many famous people, including a former Supreme Court Justice, actors, musicians, and athletes. The show ended on November 15, 2024.
In August 2023, Wallace also started hosting a new CNN Saturday morning show called The Chris Wallace Show. This program featured Wallace and a group of reporters discussing the week's political news. The final episode aired on November 23, 2024.
Wallace decided not to extend his contract with CNN and left the network in November 2024. He plans to start his own streaming or podcasting projects.
Media Appearances
In 2012, Chris Wallace appeared on Jeopardy! during "Power Players Week." This special week featured journalists, politicians, and TV personalities as contestants. Wallace won his game.
In July 2019, Wallace appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He was there to promote a documentary about his father, called Mike Wallace is Here.
In December 2019, Wallace spoke at the Washington Media Museum. He said that Donald Trump was making the most direct and ongoing attacks on freedom of the press in U.S. history. He also shared some highlights from his 50-year career. These included spending a week with Mother Teresa and interviewing Vladimir Putin.
Awards and Honors
Chris Wallace has received many awards for his journalism. He has won a Peabody Award and three News & Documentary Emmy Awards. He also serves on the Board of Selectors for the Jefferson Awards for Public Service.
Personal Life
Chris Wallace has said that even though Mike was his biological father, his stepfather, Bill Leonard, had a much bigger impact on his life. Wallace called Leonard "the single most important person in my life." Chris only started to build a relationship with his father, Mike, when he was a teenager. This happened after his older brother, Peter, died in 1962.
Wallace has been married twice. In 1973, he married Elizabeth Farrell. They have four children: Peter, Megan, Catherine, and Andrew. In 1997, he married Lorraine Smothers. Lorraine has two children from a previous marriage. Wallace's daughter-in-law, Jennifer Breheny Wallace, is a journalist and a bestselling author. Chris and his wife mostly live in Annapolis, Maryland.
In 2006, The Washington Post reported that Wallace was registered as a Democrat in Washington, D.C. He had been registered that way for over 20 years. Wallace explained that he did this for practical reasons. He said that to have a say in local elections in D.C., you had to vote in the Democratic primary. He also said that he has voted for candidates from both major parties throughout his life.
See also
In Spanish: Chris Wallace para niños
