History of Bret Baier in Timeline

Bret Baier is an American journalist, currently serving as the host of Special Report with Bret Baier on Fox News Channel and the chief political anchor for Fox. His career with the network includes roles as Chief White House Correspondent and Pentagon correspondent, solidifying his position as a prominent figure in political news coverage.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

August 4, 1970: Bret Baier Born

On August 4, 1970, William Bret Baier was born. He is an American journalist and the host of Special Report with Bret Baier on the Fox News Channel and the chief political anchor for Fox.

Others born on this day/year

1988: Graduated from Marist School

In 1988, Bret Baier graduated from Marist School, a private Roman Catholic high school in Atlanta, Georgia.

1992: Graduated from DePauw University

In 1992, Bret Baier graduated from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, with a BA degree in political science and English.

1998: Hired by Fox News

In 1998, Bret Baier was hired by Fox News as the network's Atlanta bureau chief after sending an audition tape.

September 11, 2001: Covered the Pentagon attack

On September 11, 2001, Bret Baier drove from Georgia to Arlington, Virginia, to cover the attack on the Pentagon. He was then tapped as the network's Pentagon correspondent.

2007: Named Fox News's White House Correspondent

In 2007, Bret Baier was named Fox News's White House correspondent, covering the George W. Bush administration. In the fall of 2007, he began substituting for Brit Hume on Fridays as anchor of Special Report.

December 23, 2008: Named Anchor of Special Report

On December 23, 2008, Brit Hume anchored his final show and announced Bret Baier would replace him as anchor of Special Report.

2008: Son's Open-Heart Surgery

In 2008, Bret Baier's son Paul underwent open-heart surgery due to cardiac problems. Before the surgery, President George W. Bush invited Baier, his wife, and son to the Oval Office for a visit and had the White House physician update him on Paul's progress.

January 5, 2009: Hosted First Show as Permanent Anchor

On January 5, 2009, Bret Baier hosted his first show as permanent anchor of Special Report.

2009: Named a "Significant Sig"

In 2009, Bret Baier was named a "Significant Sig" by the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

2016: Received Kenneth Y. Tomlinson Award

In 2016, Bret Baier earned the Kenneth Y. Tomlinson Award for Outstanding Journalism from the Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship Program.

2017: Received Sol Taishoff Award

In 2017, Bret Baier received the Sol Taishoff Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism from the National Press Foundation and the Urbino Press Award from the Municipality of Urbino.

2020: Disputed claims that the 2020 election was stolen

During his June 2023 interview with Donald Trump, Bret Baier disputed his repeated claims that the 2020 election was stolen, at one point saying to him, "You lost the 2020 election."

2020: Argued to pull Arizona projection

Shortly after the 2020 United States presidential election, Bret Baier argued that Fox should pull its projection that Joe Biden had won the state of Arizona, concerned it would upset viewers.

October 2021: Promoted book on The Late Show

In October 2021, Bret Baier promoted his new book "To Rescue the Republic: Ulysses S. Grant, the Fragile Union, and the Crisis of 1876" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

To Rescue the Republic: Ulysses S. Grant, the Fragile Union, and the Crisis of 1876 (The Presidential Series Book 1)

Check it on Amazon

June 2023: Interviewed Donald Trump

In June 2023, Bret Baier interviewed former U.S. President Donald Trump, pressing him on classified documents, his insults towards hires, and disputing claims of a stolen 2020 election, stating "You lost the 2020 election."

August 2023: Co-moderated GOP Primary debate

In August 2023, Bret Baier co-moderated the first GOP Primary debate alongside Martha MacCallum. The debate had around 12.8 million viewers.

September 2023: Interviewed Saudi Crown Prince

In September 2023, Bret Baier interviewed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Sindalah, Saudi Arabia.

October 2023: Planned Discussion for House Speaker Candidates

In October 2023, Bret Baier planned to host a discussion between the candidates vying to replace Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Special Report. However, the plans fell through due to anger from other House Republicans.

February 2024: Interviewed Volodymyr Zelensky

In February 2024, Bret Baier traveled to Ukraine to interview President Volodymyr Zelensky about the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Zelensky called Tucker Carlson's interview with Vladimir Putin "two hours of bullshit," and made the case for more western aid to Ukraine.

October 16, 2024: Interviewed Kamala Harris

On October 16, 2024, Bret Baier met with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Fox News for her first interview on this network. The interview was described as "contentious" and "fiery", with Baier frequently interrupting Harris. It got "9.2 million viewers including 1.12 million in the key A24-54 demo".