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Rob Finnerty
Rob Finnerty
Rob Finnerty
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Rob Finnerty (born May 1, 1982) is an American television news anchor and host. He previously hosted the morning news/talk program Wake Up America on Newsmax TV.[1] In October 2024, Finnerty started hosting a nightly Newsmax primetime show, Finnerty, starting October 8. Finnerty airs at 8 pm ET, a timeslot previously occupied by Eric Bolling before exiting Newsmax earlier in the year.[2]

Key Information

Early life and education

[edit]

Finnerty was born in Massachusetts and attended Fairfield University in Connecticut.[3]

Career

[edit]

Finnerty worked for WTSP in Tampa Bay as a morning news anchor.

He also worked for one year at KCTV in Kansas City and KBAK-TV in Bakersfield, California.[1]

He currently[when?] works at Newsmax TV.

Controversies

[edit]

In November 2008, Finnerty was charged with homicide and operating under the influence after hitting and killing a pedestrian in Boston.[4][5] The homicide charges were ultimately dropped when the Suffolk District Attorney dismissed the charge[6] after a collision analysis report showed there was no way any driver – impaired or sober – could have avoided striking the pedestrian when he stepped into the street. Finnerty pleaded guilty to OUI in November 2009.[6]

On May 10, 2021, Finnerty made national headlines when he confronted former Obama speechwriter David Litt for trying to insert Newsmax criticisms during an interview about Elon Musk and Saturday Night Live.[7]

On April 1, 2022, Finnerty interrupted his show with the false breaking news that "Russia has apparently surrendered" to Ukraine, then asking unaware guest Mark Halperin for his thoughts.[8] When Halperin began to respond, Finnerty cut him off "to gleefully say that the whole thing was a prank" and mock Halperin for falling for it, upsetting fellow Newsmax employees behind the scenes, according to several news outlets.[9]

On December 12, 2022, Finnerty stirred controversy when he complained that the American Girl doll company had gone "wokeified," because he couldn’t find a single doll that resembled his “cute little 6-year-old white girl" during a recent visit to the company's flagship store in New York City's Rockefeller Center.[10] However, multiple observers and journalists subsequently identified numerous white dolls prominently displayed in the same Rockefeller Center store,[11] as well as dozens on the company's website.[12]

Personal life

[edit]

He is married with two children – a son and a daughter.[3]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Rob Finnerty

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Rob Finnerty is an American television news anchor and host recognized for his role at Newsmax, where he currently anchors the primetime program Finnerty weeknights at 8:00 p.m. ET, a position announced in October 2024 to lead the network's evening lineup. Previously, he hosted Newsmax's morning news/talk show Wake Up America. Finnerty's career prior to Newsmax included serving as a morning anchor and reporter at CBS affiliate WTSP in Tampa, Florida, covering major events such as hurricanes, before departing in November 2020. Earlier positions encompassed morning anchor at KBAK/KBFX in Bakersfield, California, and morning anchor alongside hosting the daily talk show Better Kansas City at KCTV in Kansas City, Missouri. A graduate of Fairfield University, Finnerty is noted for providing unfiltered analysis on political and national issues, including interviews with figures such as President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Background

Early life and education

Rob Finnerty was born on May 1, 1982, in . He was raised in , an area in characterized by its coastal communities and proximity to Boston's media and sports hubs. Public information on his immediate family and precise socioeconomic background remains limited, with no detailed accounts of parental occupations or early household influences available from primary sources. Finnerty pursued higher education at in , a Jesuit institution emphasizing liberal arts. There, he majored in communications, developing foundational skills in media production, reporting, and through coursework tailored to and principles. He graduated with a degree in the field, completing his studies prior to entering professional media roles.

Professional career

Early broadcasting roles

Finnerty began his broadcasting career as a freelance reporter for Sports Radio 850 WEEI in , covering the 2007 summer league in [Cape Cod](/page/Cape Cod) and gaining hands-on experience in live sports commentary. This role allowed him to develop foundational skills in real-time reporting and audience interaction during seasonal events, including play-by-play coverage of amateur games. He transitioned to television early on, serving as a sports anchor and reporter at NBC's (NECN) in , where he reported on major events such as games and other high-profile sports occurrences. These positions emphasized objective play-by-play delivery and event analysis, honing his ability to convey facts under deadline pressure in competitive local markets. Finnerty's experience progressed to anchor roles, including morning news at CBS affiliate WTSP (10 Tampa Bay) in , where he handled daily broadcasts focused on straightforward news delivery and community stories. At WTSP, he anchored segments requiring strong on-camera presence and engagement with diverse audiences, building proficiency in structured reporting without editorializing. This phase solidified his technical expertise in broadcast pacing and visual delivery amid the demands of a mid-sized market.

Transition to Newsmax and key programs

Finnerty joined in 2020 as co-host of the morning news and talk program Wake Up America, which airs weekdays from 6:30 to 9:00 a.m. ET and features a mix of live news coverage, guest interviews, and conservative-leaning analysis of current events. Co-hosting alongside Sharla McBride, the program emphasized starting the day with unfiltered reporting on national headlines, often contrasting establishment narratives with alternative perspectives. In October 2024, Finnerty transitioned to Newsmax's primetime lineup, launching Finnerty on October 8 at 8:00 p.m. ET weeknights, replacing the slot previously held by . The show is formatted as opinion-driven commentary focused on Washington , aiming to deliver straightforward discussions on and power dynamics without media "spin," including segments on government accountability and real-time event breakdowns. As of 2025, Finnerty has featured high-profile guests such as House Speaker Mike Johnson, whom Finnerty interviewed on October 6 to discuss Republican strategies amid fiscal debates and opposition critiques. This move to primetime has allowed Finnerty to expand his platform for extended interviews and analysis, maintaining Newsmax's role as a counterpoint to mainstream cable news.

Political commentary

Core views on American issues

Finnerty emphasizes strict enforcement of immigration laws, particularly the deportation of illegal immigrants who commit violent crimes, arguing that such individuals pose unnecessary risks to American communities. In March 2025, he stated that violent criminals present illegally "need to be our problem anymore," criticizing opposition to deportations as anti-common sense. On crime policy, Finnerty critiques progressive approaches as enabling repeat offenders through lenient measures like no-bail releases and sanctuary policies, which he contends create revolving doors for recidivists. He highlighted this in September 2025 reactions to cases in Charlotte, North Carolina, where broken policies allowed repeat violent criminals to evade jail, contributing to public safety failures. In August 2025, he asserted that police presence demonstrably keeps cities safe, countering Democratic narratives that downplay law enforcement's role amid rising violence in Democrat-controlled areas like Washington, D.C. Finnerty advocates fiscal restraint on entitlement programs, warning in March 2025 that Social Security faces without reforms and decrying media fearmongering over changes aimed at sustainability under President Trump. He links counterproductive outcomes in Democrat-led cities to broader failures, including overreliance on expansive welfare systems that correlate with persistent and crime, favoring individual responsibility over institutional dependencies. Regarding social institutions, Finnerty opposes (DEI) initiatives, describing them in January 2025 as "Jim Crow by another name" and "death by D.E.I.," arguing they prioritize racial ideology over merit and expose past race-obsessed liberal rhetoric as discriminatory in practice. He supports traditional merit-based systems in and , viewing DEI as an institutional overreach that undermines competence and fairness.

Critiques of mainstream media and Democrats

Finnerty has repeatedly accused outlets of selective reporting that amplifies controversies involving Republican figures while minimizing equivalent or greater issues under Democratic administrations. On August 25, 2025, during a segment, he critiqued the "Democrat-liberal media machine" for expressing sudden outrage over Department of Justice actions under President Trump, such as potential investigations into political opponents, while ignoring prior Biden-era prosecutions by Jack , Fulton County District Attorney , and Manhattan District Attorney targeting Trump and his associates. This pattern, Finnerty argued, exemplifies a in coverage, where pre-2025 Trump-related DOJ scrutiny received scant attention from outlets like and despite involving similar prosecutorial tactics. He has further lambasted corporate media for framing Trump administration successes negatively or omitting them entirely to sustain partisan narratives. For example, on July 29, 2025, Finnerty dissected headlines from legacy outlets that downplayed U.S. trade deal advancements under Trump, accusing reporters of prioritizing criticism over factual reporting on economic gains post-2024 election. In another instance on October 23, 2025, he addressed leftist media backlash against White House renovations, including a proposed ballroom expansion, portraying such coverage as hysterical and disconnected from public priorities amid broader policy achievements. Finnerty contends this reflects institutional bias, where media shape narratives to trap audiences in a "narrow worldview," eroding trust as evidenced by declining viewership for outlets like CNN, which reported a 20% drop in prime-time ratings in early 2025. Finnerty links these media tendencies to Democratic strategies of deflection, asserting that poor outcomes prompt evasion rather than . On August 6, 2025, he examined Democrat responses to Texas disputes, noting accusations of Republican map-drawing hypocrisy while Democrats pursued analogous tactics in states like New York, correlating such patterns with post-2024 electoral losses where Republicans gained 10 seats. He has unpacked what he calls "disastrous" Democratic policies on , arguing on June 5, 2025, that media-Democrat alignment persists in defending illegal immigrants post-crime, as in cases of assaults by non-citizens, despite FBI data showing a 30% rise in such incidents from 2021-2024 under lax border enforcement. This, Finnerty claims, alienates working-class voters, contributing to Democratic defections evident in 2024 exit polls where 45% of union households supported Trump, up from 2020. In defending alternative media's counter-role, Finnerty emphasizes its provision of unfiltered perspectives against legacy outlets' "aimless" anti-Trump amplification, as stated on October 22, 2025, where he noted media consumers' entrapment in echo chambers ignores tangible shifts like reduced from 9.1% in 2022 to 2.4% by mid-2025 under Republican-led policies. He argues this dynamic fosters causal realism in discourse, contrasting with Democrats' and media's post-election tactics, such as unsubstantiated 2028 election interference claims on August 29, 2025, which he dismissed as conspiratorial spin amid stagnant party polling at 38% approval in September 2025 Gallup surveys.

Reception and impact

Professional achievements and influence

Rob Finnerty's elevation to 's primetime 8 p.m. ET slot with the launch of "Finnerty" on October 8, 2024, marked a key step in the network's expansion as a conservative media alternative. The program has delivered strong viewership, averaging 299,000 total viewers in Q3 2025 while topping 's A25-54 demographic performance, contributing to the network's overall surge to fifth place among cable networks in Q1 2025. "Finnerty" saw a 20% year-over-year increase in total viewers during Q1 2025, reflecting sustained post-2020 election growth that positioned as a counterweight to dominant mainstream outlets amid audience shifts seeking alternative perspectives. Finnerty's unfiltered, fact-focused commentary on pressing issues, including 2025 political developments under the Trump administration, has resonated with viewers prioritizing empirical analysis over conventional narratives. His exclusive interview with President on August 1, 2025, highlighted his access to high-level figures and amplified discussions on policy accomplishments, such as public safety measures, drawing significant attention within conservative circles. This platform has fostered broader discourse by challenging selective media framing, evidenced by the show's competitive ratings against counterparts, like nearing Anderson Cooper's audience in late 2024 with 377,000 viewers. Through "Finnerty," he has influenced conservative broadcasting by normalizing rigorous scrutiny of institutional biases, aiding Newsmax's role in diversifying voices post-2020 when the network's total day audience grew 71% in Q2 2023 alone, a trend continuing into 2025 with network-wide gains of nearly 50% in Q3 2024. His emphasis on causal realities over politeness has earned recognition for providing data-driven alternatives, enhancing public awareness of media dynamics during key events like election cycles and administrative transitions.

Controversies and responses

In December 2022, Finnerty commented on that he could not locate a white doll during a visit to an store in , framing it as evidence of excessive diversity initiatives diminishing traditional options for his daughter and labeling the retailer "wokeified." Left-leaning outlets such as dismissed the claim as fabricated outrage rooted in , while a TikTok fact-check asserted dolls remained in stock. No independent inventory audits from the location on that date were publicly documented, though 's lineup includes customizable Truly Me dolls with light skin tones alongside diverse representations, reflecting corporate DEI priorities that empirical critiques argue can prioritize demographic skews over market majorities. In April 2024, while enumerating President Biden's public misstatements on , Finnerty erred by phrasing a critique of Biden's Africa references in a way that implied confusion over its status as a rather than a country, prompting ridicule from and others as a hypocritical blunder. The slip occurred amid a broader tally of opponent gaffes, with no pattern of such errors attributed to Finnerty in subsequent reporting. Finnerty faced scrutiny in May 2021 when, hosting a segment, he abruptly terminated an interview with ex-Obama speechwriter David Litt after Litt deviated to accuse the network of perpetuating "lies" from 2020 election coverage. Finnerty's programs contributed to 's airing of voter irregularity allegations, which contested in a $1.6 billion suit resolved via a $67 million settlement in August 2025, with denying liability and citing trial risks over proven fraud causation. Proponents of the coverage highlighted unrefuted affidavits on procedural issues and media asymmetries, where mainstream outlets' prior inaccuracies faced less accountability. Finnerty has countered detractors by stressing factual voter apprehensions and disconnects in accusers' framings, avoiding concessions to unsubstantiated charges; these episodes yielded no professional sanctions, affirming his continued prominence at amid polarized media dynamics.

Personal life

Family and relationships

Rob Finnerty is married to Erica Finnerty, a communications specialist who maintains a low public profile and rarely appears alongside her husband in media. The couple has two children: a , Blakely (born 2016), and a son, Ryland James (born October 2018). Finnerty has occasionally referenced his family life publicly, such as in a 2022 on-air about seeking a traditional for his at a store, which highlighted his priorities as a father protective of familial traditions. The family resides in the New York area, aligning with Finnerty's professional commitments at studios.

References

  1. https://www.newsmaxtv.com/finnerty
  2. https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/newsmax-primetime-rob-finnerty/2024/10/02/id/1182580/
  3. https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-finnerty-573945135
  4. https://www.wtsp.com/video/entertainment/television/brightside/rob-finnerty/67-d0d7d75e-145b-4674-8125-4e2e1424a23c
  5. https://www.newsmaxtv.com/bios
  6. https://www.tuko.co.ke/facts-lifehacks/celebrity-biographies/597713-who-rob-finnertys-wife-newsmax-anchors-love-life/
  7. https://about.me/robertfinnerty
  8. https://robfinnerty.wordpress.com/about/
  9. https://dsnews.co.uk/rob-finnerty/
  10. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/rob-finnerty-8-pm-newsmax-primetime-1236019164/
  11. https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/finnerty-newsmax-primetime/2024/10/08/id/1183271/
  12. https://www.newsmaxtv.com/Shows/finnerty
  13. https://www.instagram.com/rob.finnerty/?hl=en
  14. https://www.facebook.com/NEWSMAX/videos/so-wrong-on-everything-house-speaker-mike-johnson-joins-rob-finnerty-to-weigh-in/24769337122705852/
  15. https://barrettmedia.com/2024/10/15/newsmax-host-rob-finnerty-embraced-the-change-primetime-provided/
  16. https://www.facebook.com/NEWSMAX/videos/rob-finnerty-none-of-these-people-need-to-be-our-problem-anymore-theyre-here-ill/1341959733659600/
  17. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DOwTzPzCZr7/
  18. https://www.facebook.com/NEWSMAX/posts/rob-finnerty-cuts-through-the-array-of-liberal-reactions-to-the-killing-of-a-23-/1270910578414875/
  19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZyYbhP0YoU
  20. https://www.facebook.com/NEWSMAX/posts/democrat-denial-of-dangerous-dc-is-not-just-a-localized-issue-rob-finnerty-illus/1244780904361176/
  21. https://www.facebook.com/NEWSMAX/videos/tune-in-rob-finnerty-warns-of-the-dangers-to-social-security-and-why-congress-an/584725864606223/
  22. https://www.mediamatters.org/newsmax/newsmax-host-dei-was-jim-crow-another-name
  23. https://www.facebook.com/NEWSMAX/videos/death-by-dei-rob-finnerty-exposes-past-liberally-charged-race-obsessed-comments-/1127125655271194/
  24. https://www.facebook.com/NEWSMAX/videos/where-was-the-outrage-before-rob-finnerty-illustrates-how-a-democrat-liberal-med/1299407078218378/
  25. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNzEtd70nQw/
  26. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afbu9BKtvy0
  27. https://www.facebook.com/NEWSMAX/posts/rob-finnerty-reads-and-rips-corporate-media-reports-that-were-tinged-with-negati/1231552415684025/
  28. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUe6rtup6o0
  29. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chGwMFRhzlI
  30. https://www.facebook.com/NEWSMAX/posts/rob-finnerty-weighs-democrat-deflections-amid-the-gerrymandering-clash-between-t/1238922088280391/
  31. https://www.facebook.com/NEWSMAX/videos/rob-finnerty-weighs-democrat-deflections-amid-the-gerrymandering-clash-between-t/1217227430086597/
  32. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKgIVieqZFe/
  33. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2rvx8Npa-E
  34. https://www.facebook.com/NEWSMAX/videos/as-anti-trump-voices-grow-louder-only-in-how-aimless-they-are-rob-finnerty-point/24801524046154420/
  35. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAnEaKZvMA8
  36. https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/here-are-the-3rd-quarter-of-2025-cable-news-ratings/
  37. https://ir.newsmax.com/news/news-details/2025/Newsmax-Sees-Big-Surge-in-Q1-Ratings-Now-5-Network-in-All-of-Cable/default.aspx
  38. https://www.facebook.com/NEWSMAX/posts/alert-newsmax-beats-cnn-in-ratings-for-2-key-shows-its-happening-see-it-here-htt/1009447194561216/
  39. https://www.whitehouse.gov/gallery/president-donald-trump-participates-in-an-interview-with-rob-finnerty-of-newsmax/
  40. https://www.facebook.com/NEWSMAX/videos/rob-finnerty-lists-the-already-heavy-list-of-accomplishments-of-the-new-trump-ad/586515814163617/
  41. https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/newsmax-rob-schmitt-cnn/2024/12/04/id/1190352/
  42. https://barrettmedia.com/2024/11/08/newsmax-ratings-up-nearly-50-during-2024-3rd-quarter/
  43. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82OXGb3nQr0
  44. https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/newsmax-hosts-fake-outrage-white-american-girl-doll-wokeified-rcna61917
  45. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/tiktoker-fact-checks-news-anchor-162228200.html
  46. https://www.theroot.com/newsmaxs-rob-finnerty-lied-like-a-dog-when-he-said-the-1849904850
  47. https://www.americangirl.com/collections/all-truly-me-dolls
  48. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/newsmax-joe-biden-africa-country_n_6618c7d5e4b00c2fbcbddb1c
  49. https://newrepublic.com/post/180627/newsmax-host-hilarious-blunder-drag-biden
  50. https://www.axios.com/2021/05/10/newsmax-dominion-election-conspiracy-lies
  51. https://www.forbes.com/sites/markjoyella/2021/05/10/newsmax-cuts-interview-after-guest-asks-host-are-you-still-telling-that-lie-or-are-you-telling-new-lies/
  52. https://ir.newsmax.com/news/news-details/2025/Newsmax-Announces-Settlement-with-Dominion-Voting-Systems/default.aspx
  53. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/newsmax-defamation-lawsuit-1236347020/
  54. https://www.gigwise.com/rob-finnerty-wife-woman-behind-his-story/
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