Kasie Hunt is one of the most recognizable political journalists on American television, and searches for “Kasie Hunt Matt Rivera” usually come from viewers who want to know two things at once: what Hunt does on air, and who the husband she occasionally mentions actually is. The short version is that Hunt is a CNN anchor and chief national affairs analyst, and Rivera is her husband of nearly a decade, a digital news producer she met while both worked at NBC News.
This article focuses on Hunt herself, her career from Capitol Hill reporting to hosting The Arena with Kasie Hunt, her education, her health story, and her public profile. Her relationship with Matt Rivera is covered as a secondary angle, because it is part of her story, not the whole of it. You can find more profiles of public figures and media personalities on the Digital Geek Spot homepage.
Hunt was born Kasie Sue Hunt on May 24, 1985, in Dearborn, Michigan, and raised in Wayne, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Conestoga High School in 2003, then attended George Washington University, where she graduated magna cum laude in 2006 with a degree in international affairs. She went on to earn a master’s degree in sociology from St John’s College, Cambridge. That education shaped the reporting style she is known for today, careful with detail and steady on live television.
Her career began at the ground level. Hunt started as an intern in the political unit of NBC News, then worked as a health policy reporter for the National Journal‘s CongressDaily, where she covered the passage of the Affordable Care Act. She moved to Politico to cover the 2010 midterm elections, and in August 2011 she joined the Associated Press as a national political reporter, covering Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign from the campaign plane.
In January 2013, Hunt returned to NBC News as an off-air reporter and producer covering Congress and politics. She began appearing regularly on MSNBC and became a political correspondent in November 2014. Over the next eight years she became one of the network’s most familiar Capitol Hill faces, reporting from Congress across NBC News and MSNBC platforms. In October 2017 she began anchoring her own weekend show, Kasie DC, on MSNBC, and in September 2020 she took over the relaunched early morning program Way Too Early with Kasie Hunt. Her NBC team reporting on sexual harassment allegations on Capitol Hill earned the Joan Shorenstein Barone Award in 2018.
Key Takeaways: Kasie Hunt is a CNN anchor and chief national affairs analyst who hosts The Arena with Kasie Hunt. She previously spent eight years at NBC News and MSNBC as Capitol Hill correspondent and host of Kasie DC and Way Too Early. She is married to Matt Rivera, a digital news producer she met at NBC News in 2012, and they married on May 6, 2017. The couple has two children, a son born in 2019 and a daughter born in 2023. In 2021, Hunt had surgery to remove a benign brain tumor and has spoken openly about the experience.
Who is Kasie Hunt?
Kasie Hunt is an American political correspondent and television anchor, currently working for CNN as an anchor and chief national affairs analyst based in Washington, D.C. She is 41 years old as of 2026, and she has been working in journalism since 2007. Her beat has always been national politics, with Congress and presidential campaigns at the center of her reporting.
Hunt built her career as a reporter first, covering health policy, midterm elections, and a presidential campaign before she ever hosted a show. That background shows in her interviews, which press for specifics rather than settle for talking points.
What shows has Kasie Hunt hosted?
Hunt has hosted programs on both MSNBC and CNN, moving from weekend and early morning slots into a prominent afternoon position.
| Show | Network | Role and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Kasie DC | MSNBC | Anchor, October 2017 to 2021, Sunday evenings |
| Way Too Early with Kasie Hunt | MSNBC | Anchor, September 2020 to July 2021 |
| The Source with Kasie Hunt | CNN+ | Host, premiered March 29, 2022 |
| Early Start / CNN This Morning with Kasie Hunt | CNN | Anchor, August 2023 to 2025, renamed February 2024 |
| State of the Race | CNN International | Host, from September 2023 |
| The Arena with Kasie Hunt | CNN | Anchor, premiered March 3, 2025 to present |
Alongside her anchoring work, Hunt appears regularly on CNN’s political coverage and has contributed to programs including Meet the Press, Morning Joe, Inside Politics, and PBS’s Washington Week over the course of her career.
How did Kasie Hunt get started in journalism?
Hunt’s path into journalism was methodical rather than accidental. After her NBC News internship, she chose print reporting, first at the National Journal and then at Politico, before joining the Associated Press in 2011. Print reporting taught her to build stories from documents, sources, and careful verification, skills that later made her television reporting more grounded.
The Associated Press assignment covering Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign was a turning point. Traveling with a campaign gives a reporter daily access to a candidate, the campaign staff, and the traveling press corps, and it builds a source network that is hard to replicate from a studio.
Why her Capitol Hill years matter
- She covered Congress across all NBC News and MSNBC platforms, not just one show.
- She reported on major legislative fights, leadership changes, and elections from inside the Capitol.
- Her team’s 2018 reporting on sexual harassment allegations on Capitol Hill won the Joan Shorenstein Barone Award.
- She developed a reputation for knowing congressional procedure and the people who run it.
When did Kasie Hunt join CNN?
Hunt announced her departure from NBC News and MSNBC on July 16, 2021. CNN hired her as its first anchor for CNN+, the network’s streaming service, where she also became chief national affairs analyst. Her program The Source with Kasie Hunt premiered on CNN+ on March 29, 2022.
After CNN+ shut down, Hunt stayed at CNN and her role grew. In August 2023, CNN announced she would anchor its early morning show Early Start, renamed CNN This Morning with Kasie Hunt in February 2024. She also began hosting State of the Race for CNN International in September 2023. In January 2025, CNN announced her move to The Arena with Kasie Hunt, which premiered on March 3, 2025.
What happened with Kasie Hunt’s brain tumor?
In October 2021, Hunt underwent a four hour operation to remove a benign brain tumor. She learned of the diagnosis around the time she began her role at CNN in August 2021, and she has spoken openly about how frightening the experience was, including planning for her young family in case the surgery did not go well.
The surgery was successful, and Hunt returned to work. She has since described herself as a brain tumor survivor and has spoken about resilience in interviews and public appearances. Her openness about the experience has made her a relatable figure to viewers facing their own health challenges.
Who is Matt Rivera, Kasie Hunt’s husband?
Matt Rivera, whose full name is Matthew Mario Rivera, is a digital media producer and journalist. He worked for more than a decade at NBC News, where he served as a senior digital producer for Meet the Press and later as Director of Editorial Operations for NBC News Politics. Earlier in his career, he worked as a multimedia producer and reporter at The Wall Street Journal. He has also taught as an adjunct professor at New York University.
Rivera works behind the camera, which is why he is far less publicly visible than his wife. His career has focused on digital production and editorial operations, the work of shaping how news reaches audiences online and on television.
How did Kasie Hunt and Matt Rivera meet?
Hunt and Rivera met in 2012, while both were working at NBC News in Washington, D.C. At the time, Hunt was building her career as a political reporter and Rivera was working as a producer. They dated for several years before Rivera proposed in August 2016.
The couple married on May 6, 2017, in a ceremony at Shenandoah Woods, a lodge and retreat near Stanley, Virginia. Their story is a familiar one in Washington media circles, two young journalists who met at work and built both careers and a family in the same city.
Do Kasie Hunt and Matt Rivera have children?
Yes, Hunt and Rivera have two children. Their son, Mars Hunt Rivera, was born on September 4, 2019. Their daughter, Grey Hunt Rivera, was born on March 1, 2023.
Hunt has shared glimpses of family life on social media, but she generally keeps her children out of the spotlight. She has touched on the challenge of balancing a high profile anchoring job with raising two young children, particularly around the time of her brain surgery, when her son was two years old.
What is Kasie Hunt’s salary and net worth?
This is one of the most searched questions about Hunt, and it is also the one with the least reliable answers online. Various celebrity biography websites publish salary and net worth figures for her, but the numbers disagree widely with each other, and neither CNN nor Hunt has publicly confirmed a salary or a net worth figure.
Because of that, any specific dollar amount you see online should be treated as an unverified estimate, not a fact. What can be said with confidence is that Hunt is a senior anchor and chief national affairs analyst at a major cable news network, a role that places her among the more senior on air journalists in American television.
What is Kasie Hunt doing now?
As of 2026, Hunt anchors The Arena with Kasie Hunt on CNN, a one hour afternoon program that premiered on March 3, 2025, and serves as the network’s chief national affairs analyst. The show covers the day’s political news with interviews, reporting, and analysis, drawing on the Capitol Hill and campaign expertise she built over nearly two decades.
Her move to the afternoon slot marked a new phase in her CNN career, following her early morning anchoring and her international program. For viewers who have followed her since her MSNBC days, the through line is consistent: Congress, campaigns, and the people who shape American politics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kasie Hunt still at CNN?
Yes. As of 2026, Kasie Hunt is a CNN anchor and chief national affairs analyst, hosting The Arena with Kasie Hunt in the afternoon.
Who is Kasie Hunt’s husband?
Kasie Hunt’s husband is Matt Rivera, full name Matthew Mario Rivera, a digital news producer. They married on May 6, 2017, after meeting at NBC News in 2012.
How many children do Kasie Hunt and Matt Rivera have?
They have two children: a son, Mars Hunt Rivera, born September 4, 2019, and a daughter, Grey Hunt Rivera, born March 1, 2023.
What happened to Kasie Hunt’s health?
In October 2021, Hunt had a four hour operation to remove a benign brain tumor. The surgery was successful, and she has spoken openly about the experience and her recovery.
Where did Kasie Hunt go to college?
Hunt graduated magna cum laude from George Washington University in 2006 with a degree in international affairs. She later earned a master’s degree in sociology from St John’s College, Cambridge.
What did Kasie Hunt do before CNN?
Before CNN, Hunt spent eight years at NBC News and MSNBC as Capitol Hill correspondent and host of Kasie DC and Way Too Early. Earlier, she reported for the National Journal, Politico, and the Associated Press, where she covered Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign.
What is Kasie Hunt’s age?
Kasie Hunt was born on May 24, 1985, which makes her 41 years old as of 2026.
