The Fox News @ Night anchor and Arlington resident, 51, on having a midlife crisis by age 30, covering the Supreme Court, and her latest book.
Why make the career change from law to television news?
I ended up going to law school because I really am interested in politics and law and how our country functions. So it was a good foundation. But I didn’t actually love practicing law … I just continued to feel that pull toward news. As I was approaching 30, I went ahead and got my midlife crisis over with—I went and interned at a TV station, where I got the nickname “Grandma Intern” because everybody else was a college student who was 20 and I think I was 29 at the time … I said, “You know what, this is my passion. I’m going to sort of jump off this proverbial cliff, and see if I can make a go of it.”
You cover the Supreme Court beat. Any stories that have really stuck out to you?
Gosh, there have been so many momentous cases since I’ve been there, from the Affordable Care Act to same-sex marriage … I feel privileged to be there because to watch the arguments, to hear the justices dig into those, to watch their tough questioning of the advocates, and then to spend those months trying to read the tea leaves and figure out what they’re going to do—then you have that burst of information the day you get the opinion—there’s just so much that I love about doing that. Obviously, Justice Kavanaugh’s confirmation was one for the history books. It was like nothing else I’ve ever covered on the Hill, in that people on both sides of the aisle felt a lot of frustration. It was just unlike anything else I’ve ever done as far as the memories and the impact of watching the American constitutional system in process.
Can you tell me about your latest book, The Mothers and Daughters of the Bible Speak?
I think it can be very encouraging to us to look and see what these women have been through, because what they faced centuries ago is very much relevant today. Whether it’s widowhood or financial trouble, infertility, famine—some of these women, we see them on the run from very difficult circumstances. I’m constantly reminded of that when we watch these Ukrainian families and these mothers, who are gathering their children and looking for refuge and fighting their way across the border to a safe place. It just reminds me God is aware of suffering.
How do you balance going on air so late at night with covering other things, writing books, your podcast?
People talk a lot about women finding balance. And I think you can do that for different seasons, but know that there are going to be seasons where there’s no balance: You’re going to be getting up at 6 o’clock, and you’re going to bed at 2 a.m. So you just can plow through those, knowing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Any favorite spots in NoVA?
I love to go to Scott’s Run. It’s a great park for hiking or taking the kids, or we take our dog … we love to go out to Trummer’s in Clifton, which is a fantastic restaurant in just a beautiful little town. I feel like Virginia is dotted with those. I think there’s a lot to do if you can find the time.
Feature image courtesy Fox News
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