Chris Wallace likely established himself as the best moderator of the three presidential debates, and the vice presidential debate, in the 2016 general election.

Wallace, the anchor of “Fox News Sunday,” generally kept out of the candidates’ way, while also pushing the candidates to answer questions and stay within set time constraints.

“[Wallace] was a total pro in every way, allowing the candidates to debate each other and explain themselves. I hope Fox’s competitors took notes.”

He asked questions of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton that the other moderators wouldn’t ask. Wallace brought up the Clinton Foundation, the Clinton-run charity that has taken millions of dollars from foreign leaders. Much of that money came when Clinton was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, creating scores of potentially serious conflicts of interest Clinton has never fully answered for.

Wallace also oversaw open discussions between the candidates on Iraq, gun laws, and partial-birth abortion.

His performance brought immediate praise.

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“[Wallace] was a total pro in every way, allowing the candidates to debate each other and explain themselves,” said Brent Bozell, president of the Media Research Center, in a post-debate statement. “I hope Fox’s competitors took notes. This is how it’s done!”

That doesn’t mean he went easy on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Wallace asked Trump about mistakes he made in a previous debate, when he said Aleppo, the besieged city in northwestern Syria, had fallen.

Trump had to turn to mocking Wallace’s questions, since the city has been decimated by fighting.

Wallace then pushed Clinton on her no-fly zone policy over parts of the Syria. No-fly plans have been questioned by Trump, President Obama, and New York Times writers for the potential of escalating conflict with Russia.

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Wallace was so careful about interrupting the candidates, while also letting some back-and-forth go, that the candidates often tried to interrupt Wallace and not each other.

“Chris Wallace has been tough and fair — so, not letting him finish his question not the best tactic,” tweeted Patrick Murray, the director of Monmouth University Polling Institute.

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Wallace also surprised the candidates at the end of the debate by allowing a one-minute closing statement.

Murray said he expected “tribute” columns in the morning. It was a welcome job after NBC’s Lester Holt’s performance at the first presidential debate, which was aimed at tearing down Trump and talking up President Barack Obama’s economic record.

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It’s important to note Wallace is no partisan. His father was the late great Mike Wallace of “60 Minutes.”

Chris Wallace also started his career in 1975 at “NBC News” and later switched to “CBS News.” He is also a registered Democrat in the District of Columbia.

“Chris Wallace showed the traditional media how to run a debate,” said Dan Gainor, the vice president of Business and Culture of the Media Research Center. “He asked tough questions of both candidates. He reined in both candidates when they talked and he didn’t try to debate them as ABC’s Martha Raddatz did [in the second presidential debate].”

“The only moderator who made a case for keeping journalists as moderators was Wallace,” Gainor continued, “But it’s probably too late. A wise GOP will never let so-called neutral journalists within 100 yards of a debate stage ever again so they can’t try and fix the election.”