Chanel Rion

In March 2020, Rion hosted Exposing China’s Coronavirus: The Fears, The Lies and The Unknown on OAN. During the special, Rion called the Coronavirus the “Chinese virus.” She said that Donald Trump’s response to the pandemic has been “strong” and questioned if the virus came from Wuhan, China, suggesting that there are “clues” that the virus was created in a laboratory in North Carolina.

On April 1, 2020, the White House Correspondents’ Association removed OAN and Rion from the White House briefing room press briefings due to violating the Association’s COVID-19 attendance policy. The policy, set forth by the Association and based on the Center for Disease Control COVID-19 guidelines, allows only 14 reporters in the briefing room daily and that all reporters occupy a seat. Correspondents are rotated to ensure all gain access to the briefing while maintaining safe social distancing guidelines. On March 31 and April 1, Rion attended both press briefings when OAN was not on the rotation list. OAN president Charles Herring stated that Rion was invited to participate in the press briefings outside of the White House Correspondent’s Association rotation list. Rion stated that she was a guest of White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham. The next day, on April 2, Rion returned to the White House briefing room, again, citing Grisham’s invitation.

Chanel Rion, (born Chanel Nmi Dayn-Ryan) is an American journalist, political cartoonist, conspiracy theorist, and children’s book author. She is the current White House correspondent for One America News Network (OAN). Rion changed her surname in 2019, prior to applying for a White House press pass.

Rion is a journalist and a political cartoonist. She is also an children’s book author. Rion was named OAN’s chief White House correspondent in January 2020.

In May 2019, Rion became the White House correspondent for One America News Network (OAN). In October 2019, Rion reported that ex-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and ex-FBI lawyer Lisa Page had an affair. Rion’s article lacked sourcing and was eventually discredited. OAN retracted the story. Later that year, in December, Rion presented “Revealed: Ukrainian witnesses destroy Schiff’s case exclusive with Rudy Giuliani.” The two part series, presented on OAN, featured Rion interviewing Rudy Giuliani and various Ukrainian supporters of his, including Yuriy Lutsenko, all of whom support various conspiracy theories related to the Trump–Ukraine scandal.

Rion is engaged to Bob “Courtland” Sykes, who in 2017–2018 unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for a Senate seat in Missouri on a pro-Trump, America First platform.