The Stunning Transformation Of CNN's Abby Phillip

Today's political climate is tense and can be hard to follow, but a talented reporter can break down the latest stories into digestible content that's easy to understand. Abby Phillip has made a career out of doing exactly that. From her time as a college student writing for The Harvard Crimson to her coverage on the popular CNN show "News Night with Abby Phillip," she's climbed the ladder and established herself as a reliable source.

Phillip is one of many news anchors who have changed a lot since making it big, having come from humble beginnings and ultimately dominating the news cycle with her clever analysis. During a December 2022 interview with Glamour, she revealed her most valuable career lesson to date, saying, "Sometimes your highest highs are accompanied at almost the same time by your lowest lows. You have to recognize that those low moments are just part of the same journey." Phillip continued, "As you celebrate the highs, keep in mind that those lows can also be instructive."

From her childhood in Trinidad and Tobago to her early career aspirations and making the switch from print to television journalism, here is the stunning transformation of CNN reporter Abby Phillip.

Abby Phillip was born in Alexandria, Virginia in 1988 to parents June and Carlos, who are Trinidadian. When she was just a few months old, her parents relocated the family to the Caribbean country they were originally from. However, Philip's dad was interested in continuing his education at Howard University in Washington, D.C., and when she was just 8 years old, they returned to the United States and settled in Maryland.

"All I knew was growing up in Trinidad ... surrounded by my family on this tiny island in the Caribbean. So coming back to America was actually, you know, I was born here, but I felt like an immigrant myself," Phillip told "The Kojo Nnamdi Show" in March 2021. The reporter explained that she spoke with an accent and found it difficult to adapt to the culture, which was so different from the one she'd grown up with. "It was definitely challenging," Phillip added.

She acclimated over time and excelled in school, developing an interest in politics at an early age. As Phillip's mother told the Trinidad Express Newspapers in November 2020, "We always felt that her focus would take her a long way, and her teachers were super amazed by her poise as a student."

Given Abby Phillip's adept reporting of current events and poised nature on television, it's hard to imagine her ever wanting to be anything but a political correspondent. An east coaster through and through, her impressive grades and determination earned her a spot at Harvard University after graduating from Bowie High School in 2006. Phillip initially enrolled as a pre-med student and had intended to become a heart surgeon, but after some time, she realized how much she loved interacting with people (and how little she enjoyed spending time in the lab).

While on "The Kojo Nnamdi Show" in March 2021, the reporter explained, "As much as I was interested in the sciences, I was not particularly, you know, the kind [to be] in the labs. And the math and the science, it just wasn't my strong suit." While figuring things out at Harvard, Phillip began writing for the university's newspaper and fell in love with journalism. She switched her major to government and, after graduating with the class of 2010, returned to Washington, D.C., to kick-start her career.

Abby Phillip left Harvard University with a bachelor's degree in government and a broad career on her horizon. "Growing up, I didn't know any journalists. It seemed like something other people did," she told the Washingtonian in February 2021. "Coming from an immigrant family, you want to be a doctor or a lawyer — like those are the two successful careers that you could have." Thankfully, Phillip had a knack for political coverage, and her first job out of college was as a blogger for Politico, where she covered current events and President Obama's term for two years.

It was the perfect place for her to get her feet wet. She explained, "Politico was at the vanguard of digital journalism and this fast-paced Twitter era that we are deeply into right now. I learned, first and foremost, speed and urgency, and newsiness and the adrenaline rush of political journalism." Following her time at Politico, Phillip was granted a fellowship with ABC News, where she continued writing articles. While working for the network, she also got her first taste of working for a television program as she got involved with "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos.

Following her stint at ABC News, Abby Phillip was offered the role of a general assignment reporter with The Washington Post in 2014. It was her biggest career move to date, and she gained a crucial understanding of the career she had chosen. During a Q&A with The Washington Post a few months into her new role, Philip said, "I think being a general assignment reporter is really a lot of fun because you have the freedom to write where your interests take you. And that also helps you connect with readers who also have very diverse interests."

Until 2017, Phillip covered a range of White House topics for the outlet, including the presidential race between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton to the former president's many controversies after he'd been sworn in. In November 2021, Phillip spoke at the University of Rhode Island's Christiane Amanpour Lecture. She recalled something she'd learned from The Washington Post, saying she was taught to "disappear from the story."

"There's a bit of an old school model of understanding in the news business that seeks to treat journalists as blank slates, as if we are just simply megaphones for information that divinely passes through us to the audience," Phillip remarked. But the expectation for reporters to share a story without putting some piece of themselves into it isn't realistic, she said. "None of us are without our biases and our perspectives."

CNN picked up on Abby Phillip's undeniable talent for reporting on the current events in American politics, and brought her on as a correspondent in 2017 to cover President Trump's administration and White House updates. The maneuver from print journalism to television wasn't an easy one, as she explained on "The Kojo Nnamdi Show." Phillip said, "It's a lifestyle choice to be in the public eye in that way. And I always [wanted] my work to kind of stand on its own and to not be the person that people paid attention to."

Making appearances on the air meant Phillip had to accept the fact that her audience was no longer reading her words off a page or screen. They were hearing her tone and seeing her face, so she ultimately had to decide whether this was something she wanted to accept as an element of her job.

In speaking with Elle in March 2024, the reporter explained, "When I first got to CNN ... I wasn't convinced that this was the role for me. I didn't like being on TV. I mean, honestly, I still don't." Phillip's passion for journalism is what keeps her devoted to her role, but she would be just as happy to give her reports on the radio. "I don't have this natural desire to be seen," she said.

Those familiar with Abby Phillip's work are probably accustomed to seeing the correspondent in professional attire, be it a blazer or a modest dress. However, in May of 2018, her fans got to see the stunning white gown she wore when she married her husband, Marcus Richardson, a cybersecurity consultant. The couple had been dating since 2011 after meeting at a mutual friend's party. Five years later, while celebrating Christmas surrounded by family, Richardson popped the question.

The intimate ceremony, held at the historic Anderson House in Washington, D.C., was attended by 90 guests. In September 2018, in speaking with Martha Stewart Weddings, Phillip and her husband reflected on their beautiful ceremony. They had spent the previous night and morning of the wedding apart, per tradition, and Richardson had been excited to finally see his bride-to-be. "I was floored. Abby was glowing perfection, and I was speechless. I had her do a spin as I looked on and just smiled, beaming from ear to ear," he shared.

Similarly, Phillip was thrilled to be starting their lives together as a married couple. "I wanted to ... hold on to him as we entered into a really big moment that we had planned together for so long. I was so happy but not at all nervous about the act of actually getting married. I was very ready for that part," the reporter explained.

After a couple years with CNN, Abby Phillip was offered a monumental gig as a moderator for the seventh Democratic Presidential Debate in January 2020. The major moment in the bid for presidency saw Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Tom Steyer, and Elizabeth Warren duke it out while Phillip and Wolf Blitzer posed questions to the candidates.

During her interview with Glamour, the political correspondent shared, "When I moderated a presidential debate in the 2020 campaign, it was probably the highest high in my career up until that point." Unfortunately, Phillip had come under fire after the debate for being, what some considered, unreasonably harsh with Sanders when she asked him whether he'd told Warren that a woman could never be president. The senator immediately denied ever saying such a thing, but Phillip pressed on with her next question as if he had. "Sen. Warren, what did you think when Sen. Sanders told you a woman could not win the election?" Phillip had asked.

"When you're in the spotlight like that, you're also the subject of a lot of scrutiny. So that was also a moment where I experienced some really sharp and very hurtful criticism," she added during her conversation with Glamour. Sanders had become a favorite among young American voters fairly quickly, and the senator has become a meme several times, so it's understandable that his supporters were particularly critical of Phillip's line of questioning.

Despite the slight hiccup she'd had at the beginning of the year with criticism of her moderating the debate, 2020 seemed to be the year for Abby Phillip. In September of that year, after having previously demonstrated an interest in the Civil Rights Movement, she signed a book deal with Flatiron Books to write about social justice activist Jesse Jackson's run for president in 1984. 2020 had been another pivotal time for social justice in America, with many celebrities speaking out about the Black Lives Matter movement, and it seemed like an opportune time for a book like this.

Phillip shared the news in an Instagram post, writing, "It's crazy to say this, but I'm working on a new book! I'm so excited about the challenge, and I can't wait to dive into this topic!" Her book, "The Dream Deferred: Jesse Jackson, Black Political Power, and the Year that Changed America" details the "origins of how Black voters got to be the kingmaker in the Democratic primary that they were this year," as Phillip told the Washingtonian in February 2021.

Originally, the book was slated to be released in 2022, but the year came and went. Then, Phillip penned an essay for The New York Times in July 2023 titled "America Still Doesn't Understand Jesse Jackson," which referenced the fact that she was still writing the book. It's unclear whether Phillip's project is still in the works.

CNN's John King had served as the correspondent for "Inside Politics Sunday" since 2014, but when it came time for him to move on from the show, there was a seasoned anchor ready to take his chair. It was announced in January 2021 that Abby Phillip had been promoted to the role of senior political correspondent and would be taking over the Sunday edition of the network's broadcast. "Could not be more proud to be joining this incredible CNN franchise," Phillip tweeted at the time.

Now anchoring her own one-hour morning segment, and with Donald Trump's presidential term now over, the reporter told the Washingtonian she was ready to shake things up. "People really want to be informed. They don't just want to be riled up and made to feel outraged. The more time we can spend doing that and the less time dealing with silly attacks, the better," Phillip remarked.

Abby Phillip had been killing it with her new job, and in 2021 she received a lot of recognition for all her hard work. The political correspondent made the "Phenoms" category of the Time 100 Next list, which highlighted emerging leaders, advocates, artists, and more from a range of industries that the world should keep their eye on. Phillip appeared alongside other major players like Doja Cat, athlete Sydney McLaughlin, and activist Amanda Gorman. She also received the National Urban League's Women of Power Award that same year.

During the University of Rhode Island's Christiane Amanpour Lecture in November 2021, Phillip gave her inspirational advice on withholding responsibility to your viewers as a journalist. "Objectivity is also about honesty and leveling with your audience," she said. "You cannot be honest with your audience without being transparent with them about who you are and how that might impact the lens with which you look at the world and report on the world."

Abby Phillip had spent the better part of a decade busting her butt to get to where she was, building up her reputation as an impressive figure on CNN throughout 2021 when she gave birth to her daughter. Naomi Angelina was born in August of that year to the reporter and her husband Marcus Richardson, making them a sweet family of four (including their dog). Phillip had decided to have a home birth, partially due to the continued concern of COVID-19, and partially because she'd had unpleasant experiences during her pregnancy with the health care she'd received.

As Phillip told People the following month, she wasn't going to let the fact she was now a parent get in the way of the career she'd curated for herself. "From the beginning, Marcus knew he was dating a journalist who was attached to her phone and working seven [days] a week. ... I don't want motherhood to change me too much," she explained. Phillip elaborated on how she intended to carry on with her life while raising her daughter, adding, "I want to keep doing the things that I normally do, working and traveling, seeing friends and going out and having a glass of wine."

"Inside Politics Sunday with Abby Phillip" had been such a success that the only direction for the correspondent to go was up. After hosting the show for over two years, CNN announced a change in its programming lineup. Phillip moved from the Sunday morning slot to "NewsNight," which airs every weeknight from New York, and chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju was listed as her replacement.

On "NewsNight with Abby Phillip," she spoke candidly about current political events and hosted roundtable discussions, which could become heated at times. It was a different format from what CNN viewers were used to, but as producer Eric Hall told Variety in September 2024, "We made a concerted effort to differentiate this show compared to everything else you're seeing." Phillip strived to make each of her guests feel comfortable and respected throughout airing, but it has been a challenge. As the news anchor told Variety, "I feel like I need a degree in psychology because so much of the show is about just understanding our guests at the table, understanding where they are coming from and what they might say and how they might interact with one another."

Before President Joe Biden endorsed Kamala Harris, much of the country had been holding their breath. Many considered his performance during the June 2024 debate against Donald Trump to be a disaster, and his competency to run for reelection was questioned. Abby Phillip gave her feedback candidly when she appeared on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" a couple weeks later.

The host had been interested in the correspondent's thoughts as she was watching the debate unfold. "We were all just looking at each other in silence, kind of like, 'Are you seeing what I'm seeing?'" Phillip recalled. Colbert interjected, asking more pointedly what exactly Phillips had seen during the debate, to which she replied, "It was clear within a few seconds that this was going to be a rough night for the president." Although Phillip has since been critical of Harris and her VP pick, Governor Tim Walz, at times, her remarks don't seem to compare to the criticism Biden had been facing.