You’ve probably seen them both on your screen at different times, maybe even on the same night. Hallie Jackson is the high-energy anchor holding down the fort at NBC Nightly News on Sundays, and Frank Thorp V is the guy on the ground, usually somewhere near the Senate steps with a camera or a notebook. They are basically the ultimate NBC News power couple, but they aren't exactly shouting their private life from the rooftops.
Honestly, people get a lot of things wrong about them. Because they both work in the high-pressure world of DC journalism, there’s this assumption that their lives are all teleprompters and black-tie galas. It’s actually way more grounded—and a bit more chaotic—than that.
The Partnership Most People Miss
Frank Thorp and Hallie Jackson aren’t just colleagues; they’ve built a life together that defies the "cutthroat journalist" stereotype. They first went public with their relationship years ago, but the big "aha" moment for the public was in 2019. That’s when Hallie announced she was pregnant during a segment on Sunday Today with Willie Geist.
It wasn't some corporate press release. It was just Hallie, looking genuinely stoked, holding up a tiny "Guess What?" onesie.
Frank isn't just a producer. He’s a Peabody Award-winning journalist who covers the Senate. If you follow him on social media, you know he’s also a massive photography nerd. He uses these old-school analog cameras to take purple-tinted photos of politicians. It’s a weird, cool niche that makes the stuffy halls of Congress look like a psych-rock album cover.
Balancing the "News Bubble"
How do you even have a conversation at dinner when you both spent ten hours chasing the same leads? Hallie has talked about this before. She mentions how they have to make "100 million decision points" about balancing their careers and their family.
Sometimes that means Frank is the one staying home while Hallie is flying to a summit. Other times, it’s the reverse.
When their daughter, Monroe "Ro" Jackson Thorp, was born in March 2020, the timing couldn't have been weirder. She arrived about three weeks early, just as the entire world was locking down for the pandemic. Talk about a "newborn bubble" meeting a "global bubble." Hallie has described that time as surreal—coming home with a new baby while the news cycle they usually controlled was spinning out of orbit.
Why Frank Thorp and Hallie Jackson Matter in 2026
Fast forward to now, in 2026, and their roles have only grown. Hallie is now a staple of the Nightly News brand. She took over the Sunday anchor chair from Kate Snow back in 2024 and hasn't looked back.
Meanwhile, Frank remains one of the most respected producers on Capitol Hill. He’s the guy other reporters look to when they need to know what’s actually happening behind closed doors in the Senate.
But here’s the thing: they aren’t trying to be "celebrity influencers."
You won't see them doing cringey TikTok dances or selling vitamins. They are old-school in that sense. They value the work. Hallie has been very vocal about the "burnout" that comes with the 24/7 news cycle, especially after the marathon of the 2024 election. She’s admitted that seeing her daughter visit the studio on Friday nights is what keeps her sane.
The Career Trajectory
- Hallie Jackson: Senior Washington Correspondent, anchor of Hallie Jackson NOW on NBC News NOW, and anchor of Sunday’s NBC Nightly News.
- Frank Thorp V: Off-air reporter and producer for the NBC News Capitol Hill team.
- The Shared Goal: Maintaining a "normal" life in a city that is anything but normal.
It’s easy to forget that these people have lives outside the 6:30 PM broadcast. Frank is into rock climbing. Hallie is a self-proclaimed "news nerd" who grew up in Pennsylvania dreaming of being on 6 ABC.
They’ve dealt with the same stuff every other working couple deals with—figuring out childcare, managing long-distance assignments, and trying to stay awake for a movie after a 12-hour shift. Except their "office" is the U.S. Capitol or the White House.
Lessons from the Thorp-Jackson Dynamic
If you're looking for a "takeaway" from how they handle their public and private lives, it’s probably about boundaries. They share enough to be human, but not so much that they become the story themselves.
Frank’s support of Hallie’s career is a huge part of the equation. He took an extended paternity leave when Ro was born, something he’s spoken about passionately. In a town like DC, where "power" is usually measured by how many hours you spend at your desk, Frank choosing to be home was a statement in itself.
They’ve proven that you can be at the top of your game in a competitive field without sacrificing the person standing next to you.
To keep up with their latest work, the best move is to catch Hallie’s streaming show on NBC News NOW. It’s where she gets to be a bit more informal than the strict Nightly News format. If you’re more into the behind-the-scenes grit of politics, Frank’s photography and Senate reporting provide a much more textured look at how Washington actually functions than any 30-second soundbite ever could.
Watching how they navigate the next few years of political upheaval will be a masterclass in professional poise. Check out Hallie's Sunday broadcasts to see that poise in action, or follow Frank's Capitol Hill dispatches for the raw, unfiltered version of the news.