Alex Wagner
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Alexandra Swe Wagner (born November 27, 1977) is an American journalist. She is the host of both ''
Alex Wagner Tonight ''Alex Wagner Tonight'' is an American liberal news and opinion television program hosted by Alex Wagner. It premiered on MSNBC on August 16, 2022, and airs on Tuesdays through Fridays as a substitute for ''The Rachel Maddow Show'' (which, since ...
''on
MSNBC MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and politi ...
and
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
's '' The Mole'' reboot, as well as the author of ''FutureFace: A Family Mystery, an Epic Quest, and the Secret to Belonging'' (One World/
Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...
). She was a contributor for CBS News and is a contributing editor at ''
The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
''. Previously, she was the anchor of the daytime program ''
Now with Alex Wagner ''Now with Alex Wagner'' (stylized ''NOW'') is a political opinion program on MSNBC presented by progressive host Alex Wagner. The show debuted on November 14, 2011, and aired on weekdays at noon ET. Starting on January 13, 2014, ''Now'' aired a ...
'' (2011–2015) on
MSNBC MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and politi ...
and the co-host of '' The Circus'' on Showtime. From November 2016 until March 2018, she was a TV co-anchor on ''
CBS This Morning Saturday ''CBS Saturday Morning'' is a Saturday morning television program that broadcasts on the American television network, CBS. It is currently anchored by Michelle Miller, Dana Jacobson and Jeff Glor. Although the program's name has changed sever ...
''. She has also been a senior editor at ''The Atlantic'' magazine since April 2016. After serving as a fill-in host for both ''
The Rachel Maddow Show ''The Rachel Maddow Show'' (also abbreviated ''TRMS'') is an American liberal news and opinion television program that airs on MSNBC, running in the 9:00 pm ET timeslot Monday evenings. It is hosted by Rachel Maddow, who gained a public p ...
'' and ''
All In with Chris Hayes ''All In with Chris Hayes'' is an American news television program that airs weekdays at 8:00 p.m. ET on MSNBC. It is hosted by Chris Hayes, who previously hosted ''Up with Chris Hayes'' on MSNBC weekends. The show premiered on April 1, 2013. ...
'' on MSNBC, she began hosting ''Alex Wagner Tonight'' on August 16, 2022.


Early life and education

Alex Wagner was born and raised in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
Her mother, Tin Swe Thant, is an immigrant from
Yangon Yangon ( my, ရန်ကုန်; ; ), formerly spelled as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar (also known as Burma). Yangon served as the capital of Myanmar until 2006, when the military government ...
(Rangoon),
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
(Burma), who became a naturalized
U.S. citizen Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...
before attending Swarthmore College. Her father, Carl Wagner, from
Lansing Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, makin ...
,
Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...
, was of Luxembourger and
Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
descent. He was a prominent Democratic Party political consultant who co-chaired
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
's presidential campaign. She attended Woodrow Wilson High School (renamed Jackson-Reed in 2022) and graduated from Brown University in 1999, having studied art history and literature. Wagner was raised
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
.


Career

Wagner has worked as the cultural correspondent for the
Center for American Progress The Center for American Progress (CAP) is a public policy research and advocacy organization which presents a liberal viewpoint on economic and social issues. It has its headquarters in Washington, D.C. The president and chief executive offic ...
. From 2003 to 2007, she was editor-in-chief of ''
The Fader ''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes. It is o ...
'' magazine, covering music and cultural movements from around the world. She also served as executive director of Not On Our Watch Project, an advocacy organization focused on mass atrocities and human rights violations. Wagner then became the
White House correspondent The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) is an organization of journalists who cover the White House and the president of the United States. The WHCA was founded on February 25, 1914, by journalists in response to an unfounded rumor t ...
for ''
Politics Daily ''Politics Daily'' was an American political journalism web site launched by AOL News in April 2009. It described itself as a "political news magazine for the general reader." Melinda Henneberger, a former ''Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an Amer ...
'', a political news magazine under
AOL News AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo! Inc. ...
. She moved to ''
The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' after it was acquired by AOL. As an analyst on
MSNBC MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and politi ...
, Wagner appeared on '' Countdown with Keith Olbermann'' and ''
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell ''The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell'' is an American weeknight news and political commentary program on MSNBC. The program airs live at 10:00 P.M. Eastern Time Monday-Friday, and is hosted by Lawrence O'Donnell from Mondays to Thursdays and re ...
''. On November 14, 2011, Wagner began hosting ''
Now with Alex Wagner ''Now with Alex Wagner'' (stylized ''NOW'') is a political opinion program on MSNBC presented by progressive host Alex Wagner. The show debuted on November 14, 2011, and aired on weekdays at noon ET. Starting on January 13, 2014, ''Now'' aired a ...
'' weekdays (originally at noon ET, but later at 4 PM ET). On July 30, 2015, MSNBC President
Phil Griffin Philip T. Griffin (born November 27, 1956) is an American television executive, who from 2008 to 2021 served as president of MSNBC, a United States cable news channel. Early life The youngest of four children, Griffin grew up in Chappaqua, Ne ...
announced that the series had been cancelled in an effort to transition the network's daytime programming to more breaking news reporting and less political commentary and opinion. The next day the program aired its final episode. MSNBC later announced that Wagner would host a weekend program, but those plans were later abandoned. On April 26, 2016, ''
The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'' announced that Wagner was leaving MSNBC to join the magazine as a senior editor. In addition to writing for ''The Atlantic'', Wagner would moderate events with AtlanticLIVE and help with developing video and TV projects with The Atlantic Studios. In November 2016, Wagner replaced
Vinita Nair Vinita Chandra Nair is an American television journalist currently working for an NBC News affiliate in Texas. Nair is the former co-host of ''CBS This Morning Saturday'' alongside Anthony Mason. She was replaced by Alex Wagner, starting with ...
on ''
CBS This Morning Saturday ''CBS Saturday Morning'' is a Saturday morning television program that broadcasts on the American television network, CBS. It is currently anchored by Michelle Miller, Dana Jacobson and Jeff Glor. Although the program's name has changed sever ...
''. March 17, 2018 was her last appearance on ''CBS This Morning Saturday'' as she confirmed she would be leaving that show to co-host '' The Circus'' for Showtime, replacing
Mark Halperin Mark Evan Halperin (born January 11, 1965)Mark Halperin. ''Contemporary Authors Online''. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Biography In Context. is an American journalist, currently a host and commentator for Newsmax TV. Halperin previously worked as ...
.Ted Johnson
Alex Wagner on the Return of Showtime’s ‘The Circus’: ‘We Will Get the Story’
''Variety'', March 15, 2018. URL accessed March 17, 2018
In 2020, Wagner launched a podcast with
Crooked Media Crooked Media is a progressive American political media company. It was founded in 2017 by Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor, all former top Barack Obama staffers and former co-hosts of the '' Keepin' it 1600'' podcast. Dan Pfeiffer, also ...
and Cadence13 that addressed the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. In March 2021, Wagner filled in for
Nicolle Wallace Nicolle Wallace (née Devenish; born February 4, 1972) is an American television host and author. She is known for her work as the anchor of the MSNBC news and politics program '' Deadline: White House'' and a former co-host of the ABC daytime ...
on MSNBC's '' Deadline: White House''. In February 2022, Wagner filled in for Rachel Maddow on MSNBC's ''
The Rachel Maddow Show ''The Rachel Maddow Show'' (also abbreviated ''TRMS'') is an American liberal news and opinion television program that airs on MSNBC, running in the 9:00 pm ET timeslot Monday evenings. It is hosted by Rachel Maddow, who gained a public p ...
'', as well as
Chris Hayes Christopher Loffredo Hayes (; born February 28, 1979) is an American political commentator, television news anchor, activist, and author. Hayes hosts '' All In with Chris Hayes'', a weekday news and opinion television show on MSNBC. Hayes also ...
on ''
All In with Chris Hayes ''All In with Chris Hayes'' is an American news television program that airs weekdays at 8:00 p.m. ET on MSNBC. It is hosted by Chris Hayes, who previously hosted ''Up with Chris Hayes'' on MSNBC weekends. The show premiered on April 1, 2013. ...
''. In June, it was announced that Wagner would host a show that assumes ''Maddow''s 9 PM slots on Tuesdays through Fridays as the former scaled back to Mondays only. Wagner's new show, ''Alex Wagner Tonight'', premiered on August 16, 2022. In September 2022, it was announced that Wagner will be hosting
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
's '' The Mole'' reboot.


Political views

She has described herself as progressive. On matters involving
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, she believes that there is an element of "trepidation that inhibits a robust discussion about Israel in the
American media Mass media in the United States consist of several types of media: television, radio, cinema, newspapers, magazines, and web sites. The U.S. also has a strong music industry. New York City, Manhattan in particular, and to a lesser extent ...
" due to fears of being falsely slurred as an anti-Semite.


Personal life

On August 30, 2014, Wagner married former White House nutrition policy advisor and assistant chef
Sam Kass Samuel David Kass (born 1980) is an American political advisor, chef, and news personality, who served as President Barack Obama's Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition Policy, Executive Director for First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaig ...
in a ceremony held at
Blue Hill at Stone Barns Blue Hill at Stone Barns is a restaurant at the Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, New York. The Hudson Valley restaurant is owned by Dan, David, and Laureen Barber, who also own the New York City Blue Hill restaurant. ...
, a restaurant in
Pocantico Hills, New York Pocantico Hills is a hamlet in the Westchester County town of Mount Pleasant, New York, United States. The Rockefeller family estate, anchored by Kykuit, the family seat built by John D. Rockefeller Sr., is located in Pocantico Hills, as is the ...
. The wedding was attended by then U.S. President Barack Obama and his family, as Kass had been the Obama family personal chef since Chicago. Wagner and Kass's first child, Cyrus, was born in 2017. On April 16, 2019, she gave birth to their second child, Rafael.


Books

In April 2018, ''Futureface,'' her book about her
Burmese American Burmese Americans ( my, မြန်မာဇာတိနွယ် အမေရိကန် ) are Americans of full or partial Burmese ancestry. The term encompasses people of all ethnic backgrounds with ancestry in present-day Myanmar (or Burma ...
ancestry, was published.


References


External links

*
Now with Alex Wagner on MSNBCAlex Wagner bio on MSNBC
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wagner, Alex 1977 births Living people American people of Burmese descent American political journalists Brown University alumni HuffPost writers and columnists American magazine editors American human rights activists Women human rights activists American television journalists American women television journalists American journalists of Asian descent Journalists from Washington, D.C. Woodrow Wilson High School (Washington, D.C.) alumni MSNBC people Activists from Washington, D.C. American women journalists of Asian descent 21st-century American women