Cheyanne Daniels, a reporter currently covering the Trump White House for Politico, has come under scrutiny after past social media posts resurfaced in which she expressed strong emotional reactions to Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory. Daniels, who began working at Politico as a breaking news reporter in May after three years as a “race and politics reporter” for The Hill, openly shared her response to Trump’s win while she was a master’s student at Northwestern University’s journalism school.
On November 7, 2020, Daniels tweeted: “4 years ago, I cried when I realized Donald Trump had been elected, knowing horrible things were to come. Now, I’m in my apartment in D.C., hearing people cheering in the streets screaming that he has been defeated, and I’m crying once again. But for a very different reason.” One week later she added: “Trump may have lost the election, but over 70 million people voted for him — and some of those voters were people who felt, like their demagogue, that MY life as a Black woman doesn’t matter, that I shouldn’t exist, I threaten the purity of white power.”
Daniels’ recent assignments at Politico focus largely on White House coverage. Her prior reporting at The Hill included coverage of the 2024 election and topics related to race and entertainment.
The resurfacing of Daniels’ old social media comments has prompted criticism regarding journalistic impartiality. Some commentators argue that such statements contribute to public distrust in the media.
A report by the Washington Free Beacon detailed these concerns and provided examples of Daniels’ past posts. Coverage from other outlets also highlighted this issue (https://t.co/shxi1KGGQs).
