Chanel Rion

Chanel Rion (born Chanel Nmi Dayn-Ryan)[1] is an American media personality, political cartoonist, and author. She is the chief White House correspondent for One America News Network (OAN).[2][3]

Chanel Rion
Born
Chanel Nmi Dayn-Ryan[1]

Texas, U.S.
OccupationJournalist
cartoonist
EmployerOne America News Network
Websitewww.chanelrion.com

Career

Rion is a journalist and a political cartoonist. She has also written children’s books.[4] Rion was named OAN's chief White House correspondent in January 2020.[5]

Political cartoons

Rion creates political cartoons under the label "The Left Edge."[6] The illustrations often promote political conspiracies, including Pizzagate and that Hillary Clinton killed Seth Rich.[6][7][8] Her work also criticizes public figures, including Harry Reid and James Comey.[6][9]

White House correspondent

In May 2019, Rion became the White House correspondent for One America News Network (OAN). In October 2019, Rion reported that ex-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and ex-FBI lawyer Lisa Page had an affair.[10] Rion's article lacked sourcing and was eventually discredited.[6] OAN retracted the story.[6] Later that year, in December, Rion presented "Revealed: Ukrainian witnesses destroy Schiff's case exclusive with Rudy Giuliani." The two part series, presented on OAN, featured Rion interviewing Rudy Giuliani and various Ukrainian supporters of his, including Yuriy Lutsenko,[11] all of whom support various conspiracy theories related to the Trump–Ukraine scandal.[6][8]

COVID-19 pandemic coverage

In March 2020, Rion hosted Exposing China's Coronavirus: The Fears, The Lies and The Unknown on OAN. During the special, Rion called the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which caused the COVID-19 pandemic, the "Chinese virus." She said that President Donald Trump's response to the pandemic has been "strong" and questioned if the virus came from Wuhan, China, suggesting that there are "clues" that the virus was created in a laboratory in North Carolina.[12][13][14]

During a White House Coronavirus Task Force press briefing on March 19, Rion asked Donald Trump if he thought the term "Chinese food is racist because it is food that originated from China."[8] Trump responded "I don't think that's racist at all." Rion followed up suggesting "major left-wing media" had partnered with China to promote "communist party narratives" regarding the coronavirus.[15][16][17][18] Criticism from across the political spectrum was leveled at Rion for the question,[19] which was derided as a "softball" question.[15] During the March 30 Task Force briefing Rion compared "children who are killed by their mothers through elective abortions each day" to the increasing number of Americans dying from the coronavirus.[20]

On April 1, 2020, the White House Correspondents' Association removed OAN and Rion from the White House briefing room press briefings due to violating the Association's COVID-19 attendance policy. The policy, set forth by the Association and based on the Center for Disease Control COVID-19 guidelines, allows only 14 reporters in the briefing room daily and that all reporters occupy a seat. Correspondents are rotated to ensure all gain access to the briefing while maintaining safe social distancing guidelines. On March 31 and April 1, Rion attended both press briefings when OAN was not on the rotation list. OAN president Charles Herring stated that Rion was invited to participate in the press briefings outside of the White House Correspondent's Association rotation list.[9][10][18][21] Rion stated that she was a guest of White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham.[9][21] The next day, on April 2, Rion returned to the White House briefing room, again, citing Grisham's invitation.[22]

Personal life

Rion is engaged to Bob "Courtland" Sykes, who in 2017–2018 unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for a Senate seat in Missouri on a pro-Trump, America First platform.[6][23][24]

Rion changed her surname in 2019, prior to applying for a White House press pass.[1]

References
  1. Gordon, Devin. "Trump's Favorite TV Network Is Post-parody". The Atlantic. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  2. Horton, Adrian (April 6, 2020). "John Oliver takes on OAN: 'Fox News with even less shame and even fewer scruples'". The Guardian. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  3. One America News Network. "One America News Network Appoints Chanel Rion to Lead White House Coverage". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  4. Sommer, Will (December 5, 2019). "Rudy Giuliani Teams Up With a Seth Rich Conspiracy Theorist to Save Trump". The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast Company LLC. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  5. "One America News Network Appoints Chanel Rion to Lead White House Coverage". One America News Network. January 13, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  6. Sommer, Will (December 5, 2019). "Rudy Giuliani Teams Up With a Seth Rich Conspiracy Theorist to Save Trump". The Daily Beast. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  7. Lowry, Bryan. "Pro-Trump candidate in Missouri pairs images of a riot with warnings on immigration". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  8. Ecarma, Caleb. "Trump's Other Favorite Propaganda Outlet Uninvited From Press Briefings". Vanity Fair. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  9. Stokols, Eli (April 1, 2020). "Fox isn't enough: Amid coronavirus crisis, Trump leans on a new media friend". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  10. Farhi, Paul. "OANN threatened with removal from White House press room after correspondent Chanel Rion makes unauthorized appearances". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  11. Vogel, Kenneth; Novak, Benjamin (December 5, 2019). "Guiliani returns to Ukraine, and his Ukraine story".
  12. Whitehouse, John. "Pro-Trump OAN pushes wild conspiracy theory that novel coronavirus was created in a North Carolina lab". Media Matters for America. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  13. Ellefson, Lindsey (April 2, 2020). "OANN's Chanel Rion Says White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham Invited Her Back to Briefing Room". TheWrap. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  14. Darcy, Oliver; Acosta, Jim. "White House Correspondents Association removes far-right outlet from briefing room rotation". CNN. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  15. Baragona, Justin (March 19, 2020). "OAN Reporter Asks Incredibly Bonkers Softball Question at Trump Coronavirus Presser". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on March 19, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  16. Levin, Bess. "Trump, Batshit Reporter Claim "Left-Wing Media" Is in Cahoots With Communists, ISIS on Coronavirus Coverage". Vanity Fair. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  17. Pierce, Charles P. (March 19, 2020). "It's Time to Quarantine the Crazy Coming Out of the White House". Esquire. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  18. Porter, Tom. "A right-wing network beloved by Trump has been banned from White House briefings for violating social-distancing restrictions". Business Insider. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  19. Concha, Joe (March 19, 2020). "OAN reporter roasted for asking Trump if saying 'Chinese food' is racist: 'Dumbest question' ever". The Hill. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  20. Brechtel, Evan (March 30, 2020). "Pro-Trump Reporter Tried Comparing Virus Deaths to Abortion at White House Press Briefing and Even Trump Seemed Freaked Out by the Question". Second Nexus. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  21. Brest, Mike (April 7, 2020). "'Played by Trump': Social distancing rules at White House briefings fuel resistance from unlikely duo". Washington Examiner. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  22. Farhi, Paul. "Chanel Rion of OANN returns to White House briefing in defiance of correspondents' association – and at the White House's invitation". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  23. Suntrup, Jack (October 8, 2017). "Missouri's mystery U.S. Senate candidate". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  24. United States Senate election in Missouri (August 7, 2018 Republican primary) - Ballotpedia
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