Newsmax launches show with ex-Trump adviser Steve Cortes

Former Trump adviser Steve Cortes and OAN reporter Jenn Pellegrino will host a new Newsmax show titled “Cortes & Pellegrino,” the network announced Monday.

The show airs weeknights and will premiere Tuesday at 9 p.m. EDT.

“Cortes & Pellegrino” will “confront and tackle Washington’s permanent political class, big business, and the increasing threat of “woke” progressivism,” according to the announcement. 

Cortes, who joined Newsmax in March according to ABC News, was a campaign adviser for former President Trump’s failed 2020 reelection campaign. 

During the campaign, Cortes predicted Trump would stage an unexpected come-from-behind victory similar to the campaign that won him the White House in 2016.

He has worked as a contributor on CNBC, Fox and Bloomberg TV, according to his LinkedIn page.

The announcement is also the first official word that Pellegrino was joining the network. 

Prior to Newsmax, Pellegrino worked as a White House correspondent for One America News where, on one occasion, she was critical of Newsmax for censoring My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell. 

Her critiques came after Newsmax anchor Bob Sellers walked off the set as Lindell tried to repeat disproven claims of election fraud.

Pellegrino started her broadcast career as an intern on “The O’Reilly Factor,” according to her LinkedIn profile. She also worked for QVC and Fox News before moving to OAN.

Newsmax has taken a less combative tone than OAN in support of election fraud claims.

On April 30, the network publicly apologized to Dominion Voting Systems employee Eric Coomer, saying it found “no evidence” backing up claims Coomer had manipulated voting machines or votes as previously alleged.

After Newsmax apologized, Coomer dropped a lawsuit he had filed against the network.