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related: Fox News - Murdoch Media Empire · Crooked Media · Rachel Maddow · Sean Hannity · Tucker Carlson · Dan Bongino · Nicolle Wallace · Joe Scarborough · Raytheon (RTX) · The Revolving Door — A Cross-Think-Tank Personnel Map


The Core Pattern

The boundary between political power and media has dissolved. There is no longer a clear separation between the press and the government it ostensibly scrutinizes. Instead, a continuous loop moves personnel from government to media, from media to lobbying, from lobbying to think tanks, and back again — each rotation conferring credibility, access, and financial reward.

Democrats flow primarily through MSNBC, NBC News, and podcast empires. Republicans — particularly under Trump — flow almost exclusively through Fox News. The second Trump administration drew at least 23 former Fox News employees into government positions, a historically unprecedented level of formal integration. Comedian Bill Maher captured the structural reality: “I’ve heard of state TV; this is TV state.”

The pattern is bidirectional. People leave government for media (almost always a pay increase). People leave media for government (under Trump, almost always a pay cut — but with proximity to power). The financial incentives, the speed of transition, and the systematic failure to disclose conflicts mean that the American public is routinely presented with “independent analysis” from people who are thoroughly embedded in power structures.


Obama Administration to Media

The most commercially successful government-to-media pipeline of the Obama era is Crooked Media, founded in January 2017 by three former Obama staffers.

NameWhite House TitleService PeriodDepartureMedia LaunchGap
Jon FavreauDirector of Speechwriting2005–2013March 1, 2013Crooked Media (Jan 2017)3.8 years
Jon LovettPresidential Speechwriter2011–20122012Crooked Media (Jan 2017)4.5 years
Tommy VietorNSC Spokesman2007–20132013Crooked Media (Jan 2017)4 years
Dan PfeifferWH Communications Director2009–2015March 2015Pod Save America (co-host)1.8 years

Crooked Media’s “Pod Save America” launched on January 10, 2017 — ten days before Trump’s inauguration. Today, their 25+ podcasts generate over 30 million monthly downloads. In February 2026, Crooked Media signed a deal with MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) to air a weekly compilation program. The company’s estimated annual revenue is approximately $31.6 million.

Money

Pod Save America and the broader Crooked Media ecosystem represent the Democratic revolving door at scale: former government communications officials packaging Democratic messaging for the donor base, without the traditional distinction of journalism. Sponsors include consumer brands (ZipRecruiter, BetterHelp, SimpliSafe) seeking to reach high-income progressive audiences — the exact demographic that drives political fundraising.

Jen Psaki: Press Secretary to $12M/Year Cable Contract

RolePeriodCompensation
WH Communications Director (Obama)2009–2011Government salary
CNN Contributor2017–2020Undisclosed
WH Press Secretary (Biden)Jan 2021–May 13, 2022~$183,000/year
MSNBC Host/AnalystFall 2022–presentReported $12M/year contract

Psaki’s gap from White House exit to media was approximately 4 months. Her pay leap: from $183,000/year to a reported $12–14 million/year — a roughly 65x increase. This is not a journalist becoming a commentator; this is a government official securing a cable news contract at a rate that reflects her access and credibility within Democratic power structures, not the market value of her expertise.

Other Obama Officials in Media

NameGovernment RoleMedia RoleGap
Robert GibbsWH Press Secretary (2009–2011)MSNBC/NBC Contributor (Feb 2013)~2 years
David AxelrodSenior Adviser to President (2009–2011)NBC/MSNBC Analyst (2013), CNN Senior Commentator (2015–present)~2 years
Josh EarnestWH Press Secretary (2014–2017)NBC/MSNBC Political Analyst (March 2017)~2 months
Ben RhodesDeputy NSA for Strategic Communications (2009–2017)NBC/MSNBC Contributor (June 2018); Pod Save the World co-host~1.5 years
David PlouffeSenior Adviser to President (2011–2013)Uber SVP Policy & Strategy (2014); Bloomberg TV contributor~1 year
Symone SandersVP Kamala Harris Chief SpokespersonMSNBC Weekend Host (May 2022)~3 months

Josh Earnest’s gap of approximately 2 months between departing the White House and joining NBC/MSNBC represents one of the shortest transitions documented. Note the secondary placement: Rhodes’ brother David Rhodes was CBS News president — a family link between government and media across networks.


Trump First Term to Media (Exits)

Kayleigh McEnany: 41-Day Jump to Fox

RolePeriodCompensation
Trump Campaign National Spokesperson2019–2020$167,962
WH Press SecretaryApril 7, 2020–Jan 20, 2021~$183,000/year
Fox News ContributorMarch 2, 2021Undisclosed
Fox News Co-Host, “Outnumbered”April 6, 2021–presentUndisclosed

McEnany announced her Fox News contributor role on March 2, 2021 — just 41 days after leaving the White House. She began co-hosting “Outnumbered” on April 6, 2021. This represents the fastest documented press secretary-to-media transition in modern history.

Other First-Term Trump Officials

NameGovernment RoleMedia DestinationGap
Sarah Huckabee SandersWH Press Secretary (July 2017–June 2019)Fox News Contributor (Sept 6, 2019)~2 months
Sean SpicerWH Press Secretary (Jan–July 2017)Newsmax Host, “Spicer & Co.” (March 2020)~2.5 years
Kellyanne ConwaySenior Counselor to President (2017–Aug 2020)Fox News Contributor (Oct 2022); Fox show host (2024)~2 years
Larry KudlowDir., National Economic Council (2018–2021)Fox Business Host, “Kudlow”Months
Mike PompeoSecretary of State (2018–2021)Fox News ContributorMonths
Mick MulvaneyOMB Dir./Acting Chief of Staff (2017–2021)CBS News Contributor (March 2022); later NewsNation, CNBC~14 months

Sanders joined Fox less than two months after leaving the White House, debuting on “Fox & Friends” September 6, 2019. Mulvaney’s CBS hire was controversial — CBS News co-president Neeraj Khemlani explicitly described it as an effort to hire more Republican commentators. He was later fired by CBS and subsequently joined NewsNation and CNBC.


Hope Hicks: The Triple Cycle

Hope Hicks represents the rare complete three-way cycle. She moved from Trump White House Communications Director (2017–2018) to Fox Corporation EVP (2019), back to the White House as Counselor (2020–2021).

Most remarkably: as Hicks left the White House for Fox Corp in October 2018, Fox News executive Bill Shine moved in the opposite direction — from Fox into the White House as communications chief of staff. This is not a revolving door that squeaks; this is a door with no hinges at all.


Media to Government: The Second Trump Administration

The second Trump administration drew at least 23 former Fox News employees into government — an unprecedented level of formal integration between a single media corporation and state power.

Cabinet-Level Appointments from Fox

NameMedia RoleGovernment PositionMedia SalaryGovt SalaryChange
Pete HegsethFox & Friends Weekend Co-Host (2017–Nov 2024)Secretary of Defense~$2.3M/year$246,400/year-90%
Sean DuffyFox Business Co-Host, “The Bottom Line”Secretary of Transportation~$563,788/year~$246,400/year-56%
Dan BonginoFox News Host/Podcaster; Rumble investor (5.7% stake)Deputy Director, FBI (March–Dec 2025)Millions~$203,700/yearMassive
Tulsi GabbardFox News Contributor (2022–2024)Director of National Intelligence$1.2M/year (media portfolio)~$246,400/year-80%

Pete Hegseth disclosed $4.6 million in Fox News salary over two years (2023–2024), meaning roughly $2.3 million annually. As Defense Secretary, he earns $246,400 — managing an $850 billion budget while accepting a ~90% pay cut from media income alone. He also earned $765,000 from speaking engagements ($10,000–$25,000 per event at Heritage Foundation, NRA, Turning Point USA) and $600,500 from book deals.

Dan Bongino held a ~5.7% stake in Rumble worth approximately $160 million. His final podcast episode aired March 14, 2025; he assumed FBI office March 17. He left the FBI in January 2026, serving less than a year.

Tulsi Gabbard reported $1.2 million in 2024 income from her MAGA media portfolio: $199,500 (Fox News), $119,500 (ACLJ), $373,872 (Tulsi Media LLC), $297,500 (book advance), and $170,130 in paid speaking fees. Her net worth was reported at $55–127 million.

Money

The financial asymmetry reveals the underlying power structure. Government-to-media almost always produces massive pay increases (Psaki: 65x). Media-to-government under Trump produces massive pay cuts (Hegseth: -90%, Gabbard: -80%, Duffy: -56%). Yet media personalities still make the jump. Why? Because in the second Trump administration, proximity to power is worth more than salary.

Complete List of Fox-Affiliated Personnel in Second Trump Administration

NameFox RoleGovernment Position
Pete HegsethFox & Friends Weekend Co-HostSecretary of Defense
Sean DuffyFox Business Co-HostSecretary of Transportation
Dan BonginoFox Host/Contributor (2019–2023)Deputy Director, FBI
Tulsi GabbardFox Contributor (2022–2024)Director of National Intelligence
Sebastian GorkaFox Contributor; Salem Radio hostDeputy Asst./Sr. Dir. Counterterrorism
Michael WaltzFox Contributor (2017–2018)National Security Adviser, then UN Ambassador
Kimberly GuilfoyleCo-Host, “The Five”Ambassador to Greece
Mike HuckabeeFox Weekend Host (2008–2015), ContributorAmbassador to Israel
Keith KelloggFox ContributorSpecial Envoy for Ukraine/Russia
Tom HomanFox Contributor (2018–)“Border Czar”
Tammy BruceFox Contributor; Fox Nation HostState Department Spokesperson
Morgan OrtagusFox ContributorDeputy Special Envoy, Middle East Peace
Sara CarterFox ContributorDirector, Office of Drug Control
Leo TerrellFox Contributor (2021–)Counsel to Asst. AG for Civil Rights
Monica CrowleyFox Contributor (1999–2017)Asst. Secretary of State/Chief of Protocol
Dr. Janette NesheiwatFox Medical Contributor (2020–)Surgeon General
Martin MakaryFox Contributor (2020–)FDA Commissioner
Alex PfeifferTucker Carlson Associate ProducerWH Principal Deputy Comms Director
Sergio GorFormer Fox News BookerDirector, Presidential Personnel Office
Jeanine PirroFox Host (2006–2024)Interim U.S. Attorney for DC
Lara TrumpFox Contributor; now Fox hostRNC Co-Chair (departed); returned to Fox
Scott BessentFrequent Fox guestSecretary of Treasury

NPR noted Trump named 20 Fox-affiliated people in his first term and nearly matched that figure on day one of his second term.


The Cycling Pattern: Media to Government to Media

Dan Bongino: The Complete Loop

PhaseRolePeriod
Law EnforcementNYPD Officer1995–1999
Law EnforcementSecret Service Agent1999–May 2011
PoliticsSenate/Congress campaigns (3 failed bids)2012, 2014, 2016
MediaPodcast “Renegade Republican” / “Dan Bongino Show”2015–2025
MediaNRA TV Host2018
MediaFox News Contributor, then Host2019–April 2023
MediaCumulus Radio; Rumble investor2021–2025
GovernmentDeputy Director, FBIMarch 17–Dec 2025
MediaReturn to podcasting/mediaJan 2026–present

Bongino’s trajectory is the most complete loop documented: Secret Service agent protecting both Bush and Obama, three failed congressional campaigns, NRA TV host, Fox News contributor, Saturday night Fox show host, nationally syndicated radio host replacing Rush Limbaugh, investor in Rumble (5.7% stake worth ~$160 million), FBI deputy director for less than a year, and back to civilian life.

Joe Scarborough: Congress to MSNBC

PhaseRolePeriod
PoliticsU.S. Representative, FL-1 (R)1995–Sept 2001
LawEnvironmental lawyer, Florida2001–2003
MediaHost, “Scarborough Country” (MSNBC)April 2003–2007
MediaCo-Host, “Morning Joe” (MSNBC/MS NOW)May 2007–present

Scarborough was elected in 1994’s Republican wave. He resigned from Congress in September 2001, citing family reasons. After briefly returning to law, he launched “Scarborough Country” on MSNBC in April 2003 — roughly 18 months after leaving Congress. “Morning Joe” has been a Washington “breakfast staple” since 2007, airing on screens at the congressional gym and on government jets.

George Stephanopoulos: Clinton to ABC

PhaseRolePeriod
PoliticsSenior Adviser / Communications Director, Clinton WH1993–1996
MediaABC News Correspondent, then Anchor1997–present

Stephanopoulos joined ABC News in 1997, approximately one year after leaving the Clinton White House. In 2015, he apologized for donating $75,000 to the Clinton Foundation without disclosing it to ABC or viewers. The donation itself was not disclosed; his apology was only triggered after public discovery.

Nicolle Wallace: Bush to McCain to MSNBC

PhaseRolePeriod
PoliticsWH Director of Media Affairs / Communications (Bush)2001–July 2006
MediaCBS News Political Analyst2006–2008
PoliticsSenior Adviser, McCain 2008 Campaign2008
MediaCo-Host, “The View” (ABC)2014–2015
MediaMSNBC Host, “Deadline: White House”2016–present

Wallace served as Bush’s communications director, moved into media, cycled back to the McCain campaign, and then returned to media — this time on the liberal-leaning MSNBC. Her show “Deadline: White House” garnered 2 million viewers by July 2020.


The Speed and Compensation Gap

Government-to-Media: Shortest Transitions

PersonTransitionGap
Kayleigh McEnanyTrump WH Press Sec → Fox News41 days
Josh EarnestObama WH Press Sec → NBC/MSNBC~2 months
Sarah Huckabee SandersTrump WH Press Sec → Fox News~2 months
Symone SandersVP Harris Spokesperson → MSNBC~3 months
Jen PsakiBiden WH Press Sec → MSNBC~4 months

Compensation Comparison: Government vs. Media

PersonGovernment PayMedia PayMultiple/Change
Jen Psaki~$183,000/year~$12M/year65x increase
Pete Hegseth$246,400/year~$2.3M/yearTook 90% cut
Dan Bongino~$203,700/yearMillions + $160M stakeTook massive cut
Tulsi Gabbard~$246,400/year~$1.2M/yearTook 80% cut
Sean Duffy~$246,400/year~$563,788/year + $304KTook 71% cut
Jay Carney~$172,200/yearUndisclosed Amazon SVPMajor increase

Contradiction

The compensation gap reveals a structural inversion of incentives. Government-to-media produces enormous pay increases. The expectation is that a former press secretary can command cable news contracts because they have access, credibility, and audience. Media-to-government under Trump produces massive pay cuts. Yet the media personalities still make the jump — because in Trump 2.0, proximity to power is the commodity. The presidency is the brand. Fox News is the recruiting office.


Lobbyists, Think Tanks, and Defense Industry on Cable News

A 2022 investigation by The Lever, analyzed by FAIR, found that 20 of 22 featured American guests on corporate network Sunday politics programs discussing the Afghanistan withdrawal had ties to the arms industry or its boosters — and few, if any, disclosed their conflicts of interest.

Documented Cases of Undisclosed Conflicts:

  • Leon Panetta (former Defense Secretary, CIA Director): Regularly appears on CNN as an expert while serving as senior counselor at Beacon Global Strategies, a defense industry consulting firm whose clients have reportedly included Raytheon. CNN did not disclose this connection.

  • Jeremy Bash (former Pentagon/CIA Chief of Staff): Also at Beacon Global Strategies, appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” calling for Ukraine to “shoot Russian aircraft out of the sky” and “kill Russians” — without disclosure of his defense industry ties.

A 2010 investigation by The Nation found that since 2007, at least 75 registered lobbyists, PR representatives, and corporate officials had appeared on MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, CNBC, and Fox Business with no disclosure of corporate interests that had paid them. Cases included pundits working for AIG appearing during the AIG bailout discussion, and insurance/pharma-employed commentators discussing healthcare reform.

Think Tanks as Staging Areas

The Quincy Institute documented the Pentagon’s Secretary of Defense Executive Fellows (SDEF) program as a “de facto lobbying tool” and “taxpayer-funded revolving door” — from 1995 to 2021, over 315 military officers were placed at top weapons manufacturers. More than 40% went on to work for government contractors in their post-military careers.


Foreign State Media as Safety Valve

RT America, the U.S. arm of Russian government-funded RT, ceased operations on March 3, 2022, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. All 120 employees were laid off. Several prominent American commentators had hosted shows on the network:

NameRT America ShowPeriodPost-RT Career
Chris Hedges”On Contact” (Emmy-nominated)~2016–2022Substack; 6 years of YouTube archive deleted by Google
Lee Camp”Redacted Tonight” (375 episodes)~2014–2022YouTube archive removed; Patreon; podcast “Moment of Clarity”
Jesse Ventura”The World According to Jesse”2017–2022Show ended when RT shut down
Ed Schultz”News with Ed Schultz”2016–2018Died July 2018
Larry King”Larry King Now” / “Politicking”2013–2020Died January 2021

Jesse Ventura explicitly said he went to RT because no mainstream network would hire him after his defamation lawsuit against the Chris Kyle estate. RT provided his health insurance after he lost it through the Screen Actors Guild.

Chris Hedges (Pulitzer Prize-winning former NYT correspondent) stated he went to RT because he was “blacklisted” from mainstream media over his opposition to U.S. imperialism and support for the BDS movement against Israel. After YouTube deleted his entire archive: “I vanished. In totalitarian systems you exist, then you don’t.”

Lee Camp hosted “Redacted Tonight” for 8 years and 375 episodes. He stated: “It’s the only network in essentially all of American media where you can tackle anti-war, anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist issues.”

Contradiction

The RT America story exposes the functional boundary of acceptable dissent in American media. Mainstream outlets will hire government officials without cooling-off periods. They will hire think tank fellows without disclosing funding sources. But commentators who question U.S. imperialism or corporate capitalism? Those are “too controversial” for mainstream employment. RT became the safety valve — the employer of last resort for Americans whose politics didn’t fit cable news orthodoxy. When RT shut down, those commentators’ entire digital archives were deleted. Not just archived — deleted. The structural suppression was formalized.


Disclosure Failures Across the Board

Across all categories, disclosure of conflicts of interest remains the exception rather than the rule.

  • 2010 Nation investigation: 75+ lobbyists on cable news without disclosure
  • 2022 Lever investigation: Defense industry ties undisclosed for vast majority of pundits
  • FAIR finding: 20 of 22 Sunday show guests had arms industry connections without viewer notification
  • Cable networks’ own written disclosure policies: unenforced

Timeline: Key Moments in the Revolving Door

DateEventKey PlayersAmountSignificance
Jan 1997Stephanopoulos to ABC NewsGeorge Stephanopoulos, ABC NewsUnknownFirst major government-to-cable-news move; established template
April 2003Scarborough launches “Scarborough Country” (MSNBC)Joe ScarboroughUnknownCongress-to-media full cycle; shows revolving door applies to both parties
Jan 2017Crooked Media launch; Pod Save America launchFavreau, Lovett, Vietor, Pfeiffer~$31.6M annual revenue (by 2026)Government-to-podcast empire; Obama alumni business model
March 2, 2021McEnany to Fox News (41 days post-White House)Kayleigh McEnanyUnknownFastest documented press secretary transition
May 2022Psaki joins MSNBCJen Psaki$12M/year reportedLargest compensation gap: $183K→$12M (65x)
Feb 2026Crooked Media-MS NOW dealCrooked Media, MS NOWUnknownIntegration of podcaster-government complex into cable news
March 2021–Jan 202623+ Fox personnel appointed to Trump 2.0Hegseth, Duffy, Bongino, Gabbard, et al.$2.3M (Hegseth), $1.2M (Gabbard), $563K (Duffy)Unprecedented media-to-government pipeline

Class Analysis: The Dissolving Boundary

The revolving door is the mechanism by which political media becomes an extension of government rather than a check on it. The structural function is clear:

For government officials: Media careers are lucrative reward structures. A press secretary earns $183,000; two years later, they’re earning $12 million. The media contract is not compensation for expertise — it’s compensation for access, credibility within power, and the ability to deliver insider narratives. Cable news is buying the government official’s proximity to the next administration.

For media corporations: Hiring government officials is a form of insider credentialing. The official adds access, gravitas, and the appearance of inside expertise. Networks compete for these contracts because the officials bring audiences of people interested in power. The official remains embedded in government networks, speaks at think tank events funded by corporate interests, and maintains advisory relationships.

For the donor class: The system is frictionless. Money flows to politicians, which is documented in campaign disclosures. Money also flows to media personalities who will legitimize those politicians. The media personalities don’t appear as campaign staff; they appear as “analysts.” But their financial interests are aligned with the politicians they “analyze.”

The Democratic variant: Diffuse across MSNBC, NBC News, CNN, and the podcast ecosystem. Obama alumni populate multiple networks. Psaki’s $12 million MSNBC contract is not an outlier — it’s the model. Crooked Media generates $31.6 million annually by repackaging Democratic messaging for a high-income donor base. The Democratic “resistance” to Trump is sold as a subscription product.

The Republican variant (Trump 2.0): Concentrated through Fox News. The 23+ Fox-to-government appointments represent formalized capture. Fox News is no longer a media organization with political alignment; it is an organ of state administration. Hegseth manages the Pentagon while his Fox salary was nearly 10x his Defense Secretary salary. The financial incentive to leave media actually increases under Trump — not because government pays more, but because government power itself has become the brand.

Money

The revolving door is not corruption in the traditional sense. It is structural integration. The boundary between government and media has been removed from its hinges. Both Republicans and Democrats operate the same system; the Republican version is simply more visible because it is more concentrated and more brazen. The financial incentive for government-to-media is always massive. The financial incentive for media-to-government under Trump is power itself. The donor class benefits from both directions: they buy politicians through one mechanism, and buy media legitimacy for those politicians through another.


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