The Hill’s Changemakers: Shannon Bream, ‘Fox News Sunday’ host

As Republicans attempt to win back control of the White House and Senate in 2024, “Fox News Sunday” remains a go-to platform for lawmakers and top thought leaders looking to shape the future of the party.  

Much of that is due to the work of host Shannon Bream, who is closing out her first full year as the public affairs program’s moderator — the first woman to do so in its 26-year history.   

“One of the greatest blessings was stepping into a show that already had an amazing team in place,” Bream, who took over for longtime host Chris Wallace last year, told The Hill. “We have people who have been on the show for 25 years. So, to walk in with that kind of institutional knowledge and direction was a huge gift.”  

Bream, a newscaster with specific expertise in legal affairs and federal courts, was previously the host of “Fox News at Night,” which, along with Bret Baier’s “Special Report,” bookended the news network’s widely watched prime-time opinion programs.  

She says the weekly Sunday public affairs talk show circuit still holds an important function during a time of fragmented media and alternative news sources popping up with increasing speed, particularly with younger audiences.   

“The Sunday shows still serve a really unique purpose in that we do have longer-form conversations and we can delve a little deeper into policy with policymakers and newsmakers,” Bream said. “I’ve always been a fan of having those longer conversations.”  

Bream says one change she’d like to see in and around Washington is work around the idea that the country’s leaders are too divided to accomplish much for the good of the people.  

“I think there are great people on both sides of the aisle who are up here genuinely trying to serve their constituents faithfully, humbly, with great core principles intact,” she said. “But I also think things have become so politicized that it’s hard to move really big pieces of legislation … what I’d love to see is the temperature ratchet down a little bit.”