Dana Bash

Dana Ruth Bash (née Schwartz; born June 15, 1971) is an American journalist and anchor who serves as CNN's chief political correspondent, host of Inside Politics, and co-anchor of State of the Union. She graduated from George Washington University with a B.A. in political communications in 1993 and joined CNN that year, advancing from entry-level roles to covering Congress, presidential campaigns, and high-profile interviews. Bash has moderated key events, including the 2024 presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, which contributed to scrutiny of Biden's performance and his subsequent withdrawal from the race. Her career, spanning over 30 years at CNN, includes Emmy awards for coverage such as election specials, though she has drawn criticism for perceived bias favoring left-leaning perspectives, as rated by media watchdogs and highlighted in Republican critiques of her questioning styles toward figures like Donald Trump.

Dana Bash was born Dana Ruth Schwartz on June 15, 1971, in Manhattan, New York City, to a Jewish family. Her mother, Frances Weinman Schwartz (née Weinman), worked as an author, educator in Jewish studies, and former journalist who served as a senior editor at Moment magazine. Her father, Stuart Schwartz, has been a longtime broadcast producer at ABC News, including as senior producer for Good Morning America.

The family relocated from Manhattan to Teaneck, New Jersey, when Bash was two years old, before moving again to the Washington, D.C., area a few years later. Bash spent part of her childhood in Montvale, New Jersey, where she attended and graduated from Pascack Hills High School. Her upbringing included regular Shabbat dinners, reflecting observant Jewish family traditions.

Bash's extended family history involves European Jewish roots, including her maternal grandfather Frank Weinman, who shared stories of his childhood in Vienna and Hungary during family trips in her early twenties. Additionally, she possesses a locket belonging to her great-grandmother, who perished in Auschwitz, which Bash has described as a tangible link to her family's Holocaust-era losses.