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John Phillips Avlon, born on January 19, 1973, is an American journalist and former senior political analyst and anchor at CNN. Avlon is married to Margaret Hoover, a fellow CNN commentator and former Republican strategist. He has been a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump and his supporters, and ran for Congress in 2024 as a centrist Democrat in New York's 1st congressional district. While there is no direct information about his religious beliefs, his marriage to a former Republican strategist and his criticism of Trump, who enjoyed strong support among evangelical Christians, may suggest that he is not a practicing Catholic or at least does not publicly associate himself with the religion.
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John Avlon's career
John Phillips Avlon is an American journalist, author, news anchor, and media executive. He was born in 1973 in New York City and is of Greek descent. Avlon attended Yale University and Columbia Business School. He is married to Margaret Hoover, a political commentator and the host of PBS's Firing Line.
Avlon began his career as a speechwriter for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. He then served as a columnist and associate editor for The New York Sun. In 2013, he became the editor-in-chief and managing director of The Daily Beast, a position he held until 2018. During his time at The Daily Beast, the website's traffic more than doubled to over one million readers per day, and the publication won 17 journalism awards.
In 2018, Avlon joined CNN as a senior political analyst and anchor. He has appeared on various television shows, including The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Daily Show, and Real Time with Bill Maher. He has also been interviewed in several documentaries, including HBO's Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists and the History Channel's miniseries Washington. In addition to his work at CNN, Avlon has published several books, including Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics, Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America, and Lincoln and the Fight for Peace.
Avlon has also been involved in politics, co-founding the bipartisan group No Labels in 2010. In 2011, he was appointed to the New York City Voter Assistance Advisory Committee by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. In 2024, he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 1st congressional district but was unsuccessful.
Currently, Avlon hosts a solutions journalism podcast called "How to Fix It" on The Bulwark and serves as the Chairman of Citizens Union, New York's oldest good government group. He is also on the board of governors for the Overseas Press Club and the board of directors for the House of Speakeasy.
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John Avlon's political views
John Avlon is an American journalist, author, and political commentator. He is known for his work as a senior political analyst and anchor at CNN, where he created and hosted the "Wingnut of the Week" segment and later hosted the digital series Reality Check with John Avlon: Extremist Beat. Avlon has also held editorial positions at publications such as The Daily Beast and The New York Sun. Additionally, he has served as a speechwriter for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
In terms of his political views, Avlon has been described as a "Trump-bashing" analyst and has been critical of both major political parties in the United States. He is a co-founder of the No Labels movement, which is a nonpartisan or bipartisan group that aims to address issues across the political spectrum. However, the group has also faced suspicion from anti-Trumpers, who believe its true goal is to split the presidential vote and ultimately help Trump.
Avlon himself has not declared a political party affiliation. In 2024, he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 1st congressional district but lost to Republican incumbent Nick LaLota. It was unclear whether he ran as a Democrat or an Independent, and his voter registration records at the time did not indicate a party preference.
Avlon's wife, Margaret Hoover, is a former Republican strategist and staff member of the George W. Bush Administration. She currently hosts PBS's Firing Line and is also a commentator on CNN.
In his writing and commentary, Avlon has expressed concerns about the state of democracy in the United States. In one of his columns, he warned against the country sleepwalking into dictatorship and emphasized the responsibility of citizens to take action. Avlon has also published books on American history and political figures, such as a book on Washington's Farewell Speech and another titled Lincoln and the Fight for Peace.
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John Avlon's personal life
John Phillips Avlon is an American journalist and senior political analyst and anchor at CNN. He previously worked as the editor-in-chief and managing director of The Daily Beast, a columnist and associate editor for The New York Sun, and chief speechwriter for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Avlon has also authored several books, including one on Washington's Farewell Speech and another titled Lincoln and the Fight for Peace.
Born in 1973 in New York City, Avlon is of Greek descent with immigrant grandparents. He was educated at Milton Academy, an independent preparatory school in Massachusetts. In his personal life, Avlon is married to Margaret Hoover, a fellow CNN commentator and host of PBS's Firing Line. Hoover previously served as a Republican strategist and staff member in the George W. Bush Administration.
Regarding his political affiliations, Avlon co-founded the bipartisan group No Labels in 2010 but has not been involved since 2013. In 2024, he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 1st congressional district as a critic of former President Donald Trump. However, it was unclear whether he would run as a Democrat or an Independent, and he ultimately lost to Republican incumbent Nick LaLota.
Avlon's religious beliefs are not explicitly mentioned in the sources provided, so it cannot be confirmed whether he is a practising Catholic. However, his Greek heritage and interest in American history, as demonstrated through his books, may provide some insights into his personal background and areas of interest.
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John Avlon's religious beliefs
John Phillips Avlon is an American journalist, political commentator, and former senior political analyst and anchor at CNN. Avlon is a practising Catholic and has spoken publicly about his faith.
Avlon was born in 1973 in New York City to Dianne Alexander, a lawyer, and John Jeffrey Avlon, a real estate executive. He was raised in the Greek Orthodox Church and attended Greek Orthodox services and Sunday school as a child. In an interview with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Avlon spoke about the importance of his faith and the role it has played in his life: "I was born and raised in the Church and have always felt a strong connection to my faith. My parents made sure that I had a strong foundation in my religious education, and I am grateful for that."
Avlon has also written about his religious beliefs and their influence on his work. In a column for CNN, he discussed the importance of religious freedom and the role of faith in public life. He has also written about the role of religion in American history, including a book on George Washington's farewell speech, in which he explores Washington's religious beliefs and their influence on his leadership.
In addition to his work as a journalist and author, Avlon has been involved in several bipartisan political groups and initiatives. He was a co-founder of No Labels, a bipartisan political group, and has served on the New York City Voter Assistance Advisory Committee. Avlon has also been critical of extremist groups and tracked their rise in America through his digital series on CNN, "Reality Check with John Avlon: Extremist Beat."
While Avlon has been open about his religious beliefs and their influence on his work, he has also respected the importance of separation between church and state in his political endeavours. In his campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 1st congressional district, Avlon focused on a range of issues, including healthcare, education, and economic development, rather than running on a solely religious platform.
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John Avlon's criticism of Trump
John Avlon is an American journalist and political commentator who was a senior political analyst and anchor at CNN. He has been one of the network's fiercest critics of former President Trump, regularly attacking him during his time at CNN. Avlon's disdain for Trump and his supporters began in 2015 when he was the editor-in-chief of the far-left Daily Beast.
Avlon has made several specific criticisms of Trump. He has called Trump a threat to democracy and has said that "derangement syndrome" has infected his supporters. Avlon also criticised Trump's attempts to attack the independent media, saying that it was nonsense to criticise The New York Times over a headline favourable to Trump, and that the idea that the newspaper was "'in the pocket of big Trump' was "self-evidently nonsense".
In addition, Avlon has praised an infamous letter from former intelligence officials making evidence-free claims that Hunter Biden's laptop in 2020 was a Russian disinformation operation. He also created and hosted the "Wingnut of the Week" segment on CNN, which may have been used to criticise Trump or his supporters.
In 2024, Avlon left CNN to run for office as a Democrat in New York's 1st Congressional District, specifically to "'defeat Donald Trump and his MAGA minions'". However, he ultimately lost to Republican incumbent Nick LaLota.
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Frequently asked questions
It is unknown whether John Avlon is a Catholic.
It is unknown what religion John Avlon follows. However, he is married to Margaret Hoover, a former Republican strategist and staff member of the George W. Bush Administration.
John Avlon has never been a registered Republican. He volunteered for Bill Clinton's presidential campaign and worked for the Republican New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani as a speechwriter. In 2024, he ran for Congress as a Democrat in New York's 1st Congressional District.
