You’ve probably seen him. It's Saturday morning, you're on your second cup of coffee, and there’s Griff Jenkins on Fox & Friends Weekend, usually grinning or standing in the middle of a crowd. Most people think of him as just another face in the rotating door of cable news personalities. They’re kinda wrong.
Actually, they're definitely wrong. Griff Jenkins isn’t just some teleprompter reader who got lucky with a good haircut. He’s a guy who has spent over two decades doing the messy, dangerous, and often thankless work of field reporting before he ever landed that comfortable co-host chair.
The Fox News Veteran You Didn't Know Was a Producer First
Most people don't realize Griff Jenkins has been with the network since 2003. That is a lifetime in the media world. He didn't start in front of the camera, either. He began his tenure as a radio producer and an associate producer for War Stories with Oliver North. Basically, he was the guy behind the scenes making sure the story actually happened.
It’s funny how the path to stardom works. One day you’re producing a segment on military history, and the next, you're the one holding the microphone in a war zone.
He’s a graduate of the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) with a degree in English. You can usually tell. There’s a certain way he structures his live hits—less like a news bot and more like a guy telling a story. Before the Fox days, he was at Salem Radio Network and even interned for a Republican Congressman. He’s lived the D.C. life, but he’s rarely stuck behind a desk in a suit.
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From the Front Lines to the Breakfast Table
If you want to understand why Griff Jenkins Fox News viewers trust him, you have to look at where he’s been. This isn't just about the 2024 election cycle or the RNC coverage, though he was there for all of that.
- Ukraine: He was on the ground during the Russian invasion.
- January 6th: He was reporting live from the Capitol while the riot was unfolding.
- The Middle East: He’s been embedded multiple times, covering everything from the 2003 invasion of Iraq to the Battle of Mosul in 2016.
- Natural Disasters: He’s the guy Fox sends into the path of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
It’s a weird mix. One weekend he’s taste-testing a five-pound cannoli from a Brooklyn bakery on air, and the next, he's providing live analysis of a bridge collapse in Baltimore or interviewing President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It’s that range that makes him an asset for a network that thrives on personality-driven news.
Honestly, it’s a grueling schedule. Most people would burn out after a few years of chasing hurricanes and war zones. Jenkins seems to thrive on it.
The Controversy and the Criticisms
You can’t talk about a Fox News mainstay without mentioning the pushback. Critics, particularly groups like Media Matters, have frequently targeted Jenkins. They’ve pointed to his early days during the Obama administration, claiming he wasn’t just covering the Tea Party protests but was actively "cheerleading" for them.
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There was also that moment on January 6th, 2021. Some critics called him out for using the word "peaceful" to describe parts of the demonstration while the riot was beginning to escalate. It’s the classic cable news dilemma: how do you report on a shifting reality in real-time without getting swept up in the narrative?
Whether you love his reporting style or find it biased, you can't deny he's consistent. He knows his audience. He speaks their language.
What Most People Get Wrong About His Role
A lot of viewers think he just "fills in." For a long time, that was true. He was the "substitute" guy. But as of late 2025, that changed. He was officially named to the permanent third seat on Fox & Friends Weekend.
He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Kathleen, and their two daughters. That’s a long commute to the New York City studios every weekend, but it keeps him close to the political heartbeat of the country.
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Wait, how tall is he?
It’s a weirdly common Google search. People are obsessed with how tall news anchors are. For the record, he’s about 5 feet 7 inches. Not that it matters when you’re reporting from a foxhole or a disaster zone, but hey, now you know.
The Actionable Takeaway for News Consumers
Watching someone like Griff Jenkins requires a bit of media literacy. He represents a specific breed of "news-tainer"—part hard-news correspondent, part lifestyle host.
- Differentiate the roles: When he’s in Ukraine, he’s a reporter. When he’s on the curvy couch on Saturday morning, he’s a commentator and host. Know the difference.
- Check the history: Jenkins’ background in military history (working with Oliver North) deeply informs his perspective on foreign policy. If you know where a reporter comes from, you understand their "lens" better.
- Watch the shift: Notice how he transitions from high-stakes political analysis to lighthearted segments. This "hybrid" reporting is the future of cable news, for better or worse.
Next time you see him on your screen, remember he’s not just a guy in a blazer. He’s the guy who talked three Iraqi prisoners into surrendering while he was holding a camera in 2003. That’s a lot more interesting than just reading the headlines.
To stay truly informed, don't just watch the clips; look at the full interviews he conducts with world leaders. Compare his ground-level reporting from the border to the official government statistics to get the full picture of the current migration trends.