The veteran journalist packs a tight AM schedule.
It’s no secret that establishing a morning routine can provide all kinds of benefits, such as boosting your productivity, helping you feel more prepared for the day, and improving your overall mental health. But actually sticking to it is easier said than done — and few understand this better than CNN’s chief political correspondent Dana Bash, who has been covering an especially intense election.
Like many of us, Bash admits that the first thing she does when she wakes up is check her phone. “I’m usually up with a dog or two licking my face and saying it’s time to go outside,” Bash says with a laugh. “And then, before I can get them out, I am absolutely grabbing my phone and looking at emails, notifications, and texts about what happened overnight.”
Then, she’s preparing for her daily show, Inside Politics with Dana Bash, which is one of many CNN programs that she regularly hosts. Though it doesn’t hit the airwaves until noon, Bash tells us she’s usually on a call with her team by at least 7:30 a.m. to discuss what she’s going to cover that day. (If this doesn’t make you think twice about how many times you hit snooze in the morning, we don’t know what will.)
On top of covering the 2024 campaign, it’s also the start of yet another school year for Bash’s teenage son, and that means getting him out of bed and out the door, which may or may not include some breakfast and a coat if it’s cold out. “I usually decide to pick my battles,” she jokes.
Between getting her son to class and herself to work, Bash tries to get some sustenance — she usually has two pieces of Ezekiel toast with almond butter on top. And as someone who’s constantly on the go, caffeine is a must. (She prefers a cup of English breakfast tea to coffee.) “I used to be a coffee person, but the smell of coffee made me really nauseous when I was pregnant 14 years ago, and I just never went back,” she explains.
Even though many are just now returning from summer break, Bash has hardly slowed down over the last few months. On top of her new book, America’s Deadliest Election (which also unpacks that race’s worrisome parallels to our current political climate), the veteran journalist has been as busy as ever covering the ups and downs of presidential campaigns — and she’s personally witnessed some of the biggest shakeups of the year. This includes the first presidential debate she co-moderated in June, which prompted President Biden to end his campaign and call for Vice President Kamala Harris to step in his place, as well as conducting Harris’ first major interview as a presidential nominee. (Bash did face some criticism for how she handled that conversation, and she shares her reaction to the feedback with us right here.)
But she feels a renewed sense of energy as the 2024 race enters the final stretch. “There was a reset when Biden dropped out and Harris went to the top of the ticket,” she tells us. “It has created such a new dynamic, and more people are paying attention.”
