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Rachel Scott (American Journalist)
Rachel V. Scott is an American journalist whose professional career encompasses roles as Senior Political Correspondent and co-host of Good Morning America Weekend at ABC News. Born on May 5, 1993, in Diamond Bar, California, Scott graduated from Diamond Bar High School in 2011 and held an internship in the White House Internship Program in 2012 during the Barack Obama administration. In 2015, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism after transferring from the University of California, Irvine.
Rachel Scott broadcast career at ABC News began in 2016 as a production associate for ABC News Live. She concurrently produced content for GMA Digital and reported weekend news as a general assignment reporter for WTNH-TV, the ABC News affiliate in New Haven, Connecticut. On July 20, 2020, ABC News promoted her to White House Correspondent and D.C. Correspondent.
Her assignment transitioned to Congressional Correspondent in January 2021. Her first day on that beat, January 6, 2021, coincided with the attack on the United States Capitol, from which she delivered live field reports. In June 2021, Scott traveled with the international press pool to Geneva, Switzerland, for President Biden’s first official meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where she questioned him directly on human rights abuses.
In January 2023, ABC News promoted Scott to Senior Congressional Correspondent, and in January 2025, her designation updated to Senior Political Correspondent. On July 13, 2024, she reported from Butler, Pennsylvania, at the campaign rally where an attempted assassination of Donald Trump occurred. On July 31, 2024, she co-interviewed Trump at the National Association of Black Journalists convention.
Rachel Scott received the News and Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Emerging Journalist in 2022, the inaugural year of that category. Her Roe v. Wade reporting earned a Peabody Award in 2021 and a Peabody finalist designation in 2023. In 2025, the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation awarded her a Gracie Award at its 50th Annual ceremony. In 2020, the NABJ named her Emerging Journalist of the Year and Forbes included her on its 30 Under 30 list.
In July 2025, Rachel Scott began co-hosting What You Need To Know on Disney+. In September 2026, ABC News named her co-host of Good Morning America Weekend. Scott announced her engagement to Elliot Smith in January 2024; the two married on September 6, 2025, at Bella Vista Estate near Santa Barbara, California.
| Full Name | Rachel V. Scott |
| Date of Birth | May 5, 1993 |
| Place of Birth | Diamond Bar, California, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Profession | Journalist, News Correspondent, Television Anchor |
| Employer | ABC News |
| Education | B.A. in Broadcast Journalism, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California — 2015 |
| Career Start | Production Associate, ABC News Live — 2016 |
| Current Role | Senior Political Correspondent, ABC News; Co-Host, Good Morning America Weekend (September 2026); Co-Host, What You Need To Know, Disney+ (July 2025) |
| Notable Coverage | January 6, 2021 Capitol Attack; Biden-Putin Geneva Summit (2021); Trump Impeachment Trials (2020, 2021); Trump Assassination Attempt — Butler, Pennsylvania (July 2024); NABJ Convention Trump Interview (July 2024) |
| Spouse | Elliot Smith (married September 6, 2025; Bella Vista Estate, Santa Barbara, California) |
| Children | None publicly documented |
| Awards | News and Documentary Emmy Award (2022); Peabody Award (2021); Emmy Award — Outstanding Health and Medical Coverage (2024); Gracie Award (2025); Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award; Multiple Edward R. Murrow Awards; Forbes 30 Under 30 (2020); NABJ Emerging Journalist of the Year (2020) |
| Estimated Net Worth | $1 million – $1.5 million (estimated; not officially confirmed) |
| Salary | Not publicly disclosed (third-party estimates range from $120,000 to $250,000 annually; unverified) |
| Father | Unnamed — 40-year veteran of the LAPD and U.S. Marine Corps (retired) |
| Mother | Gigi Scott |
| Siblings | Kevin Scott (brother; fashion designer) |
| High School | Diamond Bar High School, Diamond Bar, California — graduated 2011 |
| Zodiac Sign | Taurus |
| Physical Features | Height: 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m); Weight: approximately 60 kg (132 lbs); known for distinct natural facial freckles |
Who is Rachel Scott ?
Rachel Scott is an American journalist whose broadcast career encompasses roles as Senior Political Correspondent and Good Morning America Weekend co-host at ABC News. Born May 5, 1993, in Diamond Bar, California, her career at the network began in 2016, earning Emmy, Peabody, and Gracie Award recognition.
Early Life and Education
Rachel V. Scott was born on May 5, 1993, in Diamond Bar, California, a suburban city in Los Angeles County in Southern California. She grew up in Diamond Bar alongside her mother, Gigi Scott, her father, and her brother Kevin Scott, who built a career as a fashion designer.
Her father dedicated forty years of combined service to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the United States Marine Corps before his retirement. Rachel Scott publicly marked that milestone with a tribute on social media, writing: “To my superhero dad, ending his 40 years of service with the LAPD & Marine Corps. Always been proud to be your daughter — though I can’t say it made it any easier for me when finding a prom date! Celebrating a dad, who sacrificed so much to give us things he never had.”
The tribute reflected a household in which public service formed a central part of daily life. Rachel Scott referenced her father’s law enforcement background in a lighthearted context when recounting the difficulties of dating during her high school years.
Educational Journey
Rachel Scott attended Diamond Bar High School, where she completed her secondary education and graduated in 2011. The following year, in 2012, she received a placement in the White House Internship Program during the Barack Obama administration — a role that positioned her inside the federal government at an early stage of her academic development.
Her path to university education included an initial setback. Scott applied to the University of Southern California as an undergraduate and received a rejection. She enrolled at the University of California, Irvine following that outcome. She subsequently transferred into the University of Southern California and pursued her studies at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. In 2015, she completed the program and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism.
Rachel Scott addressed the USC rejection in a public statement, saying: “Though I couldn’t see it at the time, that rejection letter was actually pushing me closer to new opportunities, to a dream I had not yet realized.” The remark came from a commencement address she delivered at USC. Her academic path — from rejection at USC, to enrollment at UC Irvine, to transfer and eventual graduation at the same institution — represents a documented chronological sequence that preceded her entry into broadcast journalism in 2016.
Rachel Scott Career
Rachel Scott broadcast career at ABC News began in 2016, when the network hired her as a production associate for ABC News Live. She held that role while simultaneously producing content for GMA Digital, the digital division of Good Morning America. During that same period, she took on an additional on-air position as a Weekend General Assignment Reporter for WTNH-TV, the ABC News affiliate station in New Haven, Connecticut — a dual arrangement that placed her in both production and reporting roles at the same time.
Her field reporting expanded steadily through the late 2010s. She covered the 2018 midterm elections and delivered on-the-ground reports during Hurricane Irma and the 2019 Alabama tornadoes. In November 2019, she conducted a joint network exclusive sit-down interview in Iowa with Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Rachel Scott Washington-based coverage accelerated through the Trump administration years. She reported on President Trump’s first impeachment trial and interviewed Vice President Mike Pence on the day of the final House impeachment vote. In 2020, she delivered field reports from nationwide protests over police brutality and documented the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on communities of color. She reported from St. John’s Church in Washington, D.C., during President Trump’s press event at that location, which produced a conflict between law enforcement and peaceful protesters. Across 2020, she traveled the country covering both the Democratic Party presidential primary and the Trump re-election campaign, at times covering both within a single week.
In 2020, the National Association of Black Journalists named her Emerging Journalist of the Year, and Forbes included her on its 30 Under 30 list. On July 20, 2020, ABC News promoted her to White House Correspondent and D.C. Correspondent.
Rise as Capitol Hill Correspondent (2021–2023)
Rachel Scott assignment shifted to Capitol Hill when ABC News designated her its incoming Congressional Correspondent. Her first day in that role fell on January 6, 2021 — the date of the attack on the United States Capitol. She delivered live field reports from the scene as the events unfolded and, in the weeks that followed, anchored the network’s coverage of Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial.
In June 2021, Scott traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, as part of the international press pool accompanying President Biden to his first official bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the summit, she addressed Putin directly on human rights abuses, stating: “The list of your political opponents who are dead, imprisoned, or jailed is long… What are you afraid of?” When Putin did not respond to the question, she pressed further: “You didn’t answer my question, sir… If all of your political opponents are dead, in prison, or poisoned, doesn’t that send a message that you don’t want a fair political fight?” The exchange received broad media coverage.
Her Capitol Hill assignments in 2021, 2022, and 2023 included coverage of the House Speaker election that ran as the longest such battle since the Civil War, confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, and negotiations surrounding the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure package. In 2022, the News and Documentary Emmy Awards recognized her with the Outstanding Emerging Journalist award — the inaugural year that category existed. In January 2023, ABC News promoted her to Senior Congressional Correspondent.
Senior Political Correspondent and Expanded Platform (2024–2026)
Rachel Scott held the role of lead campaign correspondent for ABC News throughout the 2024 presidential election cycle. On July 13, 2024, she reported from Butler, Pennsylvania, at the campaign event where an assassination attempt on Donald Trump occurred. On July 31, 2024, she co-conducted an interview with Donald Trump at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago, alongside Harris Faulkner of Fox News and Kadia Goba of Semafor. The interview drew extensive national media coverage.
In January 2025, ABC News updated her designation to Senior Political Correspondent, a role that encompassed coverage of President Trump’s second term, his administration, and Capitol Hill. Her reporting reached audiences across Good Morning America, World News Tonight with David Muir, Nightline, This Week with George Stephanopoulos, 20/20, ABC News Live, ABC News Digital, and ABC Audio.
In July 2025, Scott began co-hosting What You Need To Know, a news program on the Disney+ streaming platform. In September 2026, ABC News named her co-host of Good Morning America Weekend.
Awards and Recognition
Rachel Scott journalism career accumulated recognition across multiple categories and organizations. The full documented record of awards and honors:
- 2020 — NABJ Emerging Journalist of the Year
- 2020 — Forbes “30 Under 30”
- 2021 — Peabody Award — Winner — Nightline: The Appointment — Roe v. Wade reporting
- 2022 — News and Documentary Emmy Award — Outstanding Emerging Journalist — Inaugural category
- 2023 — Peabody Award — Finalist — IMPACT x Nightline: On the Brink with Diane Sawyer
- 2024 — Emmy Award — Outstanding Health and Medical Coverage — On the Brink
- 2024 — Washingtonian Magazine — Outstanding Journalist in Broadcast Television
- 2025 — Gracie Award — 50th Annual — Alliance for Women in Media Foundation
Additional honors on record include the Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award, multiple Edward R. Murrow Awards, the RTCA Joan Shorenstein Barone Award for Congressional coverage, the New York Press Club Journalism Award, the Society of Professional Journalists Award, the National Institute for Health Care Management Television Award, and the WABJ Young Journalist of Excellence Award.
Most Notable Moments in Journalism
Rachel Scott reporting on the congressional proceedings against Donald Trump spanned both of his impeachment trials. During the first impeachment trial, she covered the House proceedings extensively and conducted an interview with Vice President Mike Pence on the day the House cast its final impeachment vote.
When Trump faced a second impeachment trial in January 2021 — following the Capitol attack — Scott anchored the network’s coverage of the full proceedings. The two trials marked an early and sustained period of high-volume political reporting within her ABC News career.
January 6, 2021 — Capitol Attack on Day One of the Beat
Rachel Scott designation as ABC News’s incoming Congressional Correspondent placed her on Capitol Hill beginning January 6, 2021. That date coincided with the attack on the United States Capitol by a mob that breached the building during the congressional certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
Scott delivered live field reports from the scene as the events developed throughout the day. The assignment positioned her at the center of one of the most documented events in recent American political history on the first day she held that specific role.
June 2021 — The Putin Exchange at the Geneva Summit
In June 2021, Rachel Scott traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, as a member of the international press pool accompanying President Biden to his first bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the summit press access, Scott addressed Putin directly on the subject of human rights abuses and the status of his political opponents. Her first question to him read: “The list of your political opponents who are dead, imprisoned, or jailed is long… So my question is, Mr. President, what are you afraid of?”
Putin did not provide a direct answer. Rachel Scott followed with a second question: “You didn’t answer my question, sir… If all of your political opponents are dead, in prison, or poisoned, doesn’t that send a message that you don’t want a fair political fight?”
The exchange drew coverage across domestic and international media outlets. The News and Documentary Emmy Awards recognized Scott with the Outstanding Emerging Journalist award in 2022, in part connected to her political reporting work during this period.
July 13, 2024 — Butler, Pennsylvania Assassination Attempt
On July 13, 2024, Rachel Scott reported from Butler, Pennsylvania, where Donald Trump held a campaign rally. During the event, a gunman opened fire at the rally, and an assassination attempt on Trump occurred.
Scott delivered live reports from the scene as the incident unfolded. The assignment placed her on location during one of the most significant security events of the 2024 presidential campaign cycle.
July 31, 2024 — The NABJ Convention Trump Interview
On July 31, 2024, Scott co-conducted an interview with Donald Trump at the National Association of Black Journalists convention. She appeared alongside Harris Faulkner of Fox News and Kadia Goba of Semafor. Rachel Scott opened the interview by referencing Trump’s documented past statements about Black and other women of color leaders, his public support for individuals involved in the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, and his stated positions on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Trump characterized Scott’s opening line as a rude introduction and claimed she had arrived thirty-five minutes late to the interview. A source present at the convention told media outlets that the delayed start resulted from Trump’s demand that the NABJ not conduct a live fact-check of his answers during the session. The interview generated national media coverage, particularly around Trump’s remarks regarding Vice President Kamala Harris and her racial identity. The exchange between Scott and Trump at the NABJ convention became one of the most referenced moments of the 2024 campaign press cycle.
Rachel Scott Net Worth and Salary
Rachel Scott’s compensation figures from ABC News have not entered the public record through any official disclosure. Her broadcast career at the network began in 2016, and her professional roles expanded across multiple designations — production associate, White House Correspondent, Senior Congressional Correspondent, and Senior Political Correspondent — over a span that reached into 2026.
Her platform coverage encompassed Good Morning America, World News Tonight with David Muir, Nightline, This Week with George Stephanopoulos, 20/20, ABC News Live, ABC News Digital, and ABC Audio, in addition to co-hosting responsibilities on the Disney+ program What You Need To Know and Good Morning America Weekend.
Salary figures attributed to her name appear on various third-party biography websites, with estimates ranging from $120,000 to $250,000 annually. None of those figures trace back to an official network filing, a verified contractual disclosure, or a confirmed public statement. They remain unverified estimates and do not constitute confirmed data.
Net Worth Estimate
No verified net worth figure for Rachel Scott has entered the public record through a documented financial disclosure, court filing, or confirmed source. Third-party estimates published across various biography-style websites place her net worth in a range between $1 million and $1.5 million, with some outlier figures reaching as high as $3 million. None of those figures carry independent verification.
Her documented professional history — which includes a decade-long career at ABC News, a transition from entry-level production to senior correspondent and anchor roles, and recognized broadcast work across multiple network platforms — forms the professional basis from which third-party estimators have derived those ranges. The estimates themselves, however, remain unconfirmed.
The accurate answer to both salary and net worth, based on publicly available verified data, is: not publicly disclosed.
Personal Life and Family
Rachel Scott married Elliot Smith on September 6, 2025, in an outdoor ceremony held at the Bella Vista Estate near Santa Barbara, California. Smith holds a professional position as a university administrator at Yale University.
The engagement preceded the wedding by approximately twenty months.In January 2024, Scott publicly announced her engagement to Elliot Smith, identifying him as her fiancé in a televised appearance on Good Morning America. In a televised appearance on Good Morning America, her colleague Robin Roberts shared the news with viewers before bringing Scott on-air to recount the proposal. Scott described the moment as unexpected, stating that when she saw the decorated gazebo at the proposal location, she believed the setup belonged to a different couple’s engagement and had not anticipated it was arranged for her.
The wedding ceremony at Bella Vista Estate incorporated a traditional Native American blanket-wrapping ceremony, conducted prior to the exchange of vows. The ceremony honored Smith’s Ramapough Lenape indigenous heritage. Elliot Smith’s ethnicity includes mixed ancestral background, with his Ramapough Lenape Native American lineage documented as a component of his heritage.
Children
No children have been documented in connection with Rachel Scott and Elliot Smith. No public record, verified announcement, or confirmed report established the birth of any child to the couple through September 2026.
Career Timeline
| Year | Role | Organization |
| 2012 | White House Intern | White House Internship Program (Obama Administration) |
| 2015 | Graduated — Bachelor of Arts, Broadcast Journalism | USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism |
| 2016 | Production Associate, ABC News Live | ABC News |
| 2016–2020 | Full-Time Producer, GMA Digital | ABC News / Good Morning America |
| 2016–2020 | Weekend General Assignment Reporter | WTNH-TV, New Haven, Connecticut (ABC affiliate) |
| July 20, 2020 | White House Correspondent and D.C. Correspondent | ABC News |
| January 6, 2021 | Congressional Correspondent (first day on beat) | ABC News — Capitol Hill |
| January 2023 | Senior Congressional Correspondent | ABC News |
| January 2025 | Senior Political Correspondent | ABC News |
| July 2025 | Co-Host, What You Need To Know | Disney+ |
| September 2026 | Co-Host, Good Morning America Weekend | ABC News |
Awards and Recognition
| Year | Award | Category / Detail | Result |
| 2020 | NABJ Award | Emerging Journalist of the Year | Won |
| 2020 | Forbes | 30 Under 30 | Listed |
| 2021 | Peabody Award | Nightline: The Appointment — Roe v. Wade reporting | Won |
| 2022 | News and Documentary Emmy Award | Outstanding Emerging Journalist (inaugural category) | Won |
| 2023 | Peabody Award | IMPACT x Nightline: On the Brink — with Diane Sawyer | Finalist |
| 2024 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Health and Medical Coverage — On the Brink | Won |
| 2024 | Washingtonian Magazine | Outstanding Journalist in Broadcast Television | Recognized |
| 2025 | Gracie Award | 50th Annual — Alliance for Women in Media Foundation | Won |
| Unspecified | Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award | Broadcast Journalism | Won |
| Unspecified | Edward R. Murrow Awards | Multiple awards | Won |
| Unspecified | RTCA Joan Shorenstein Barone Award | Congressional coverage | Won |
| Unspecified | New York Press Club Journalism Award | Broadcast Journalism | Won |
| Unspecified | Society of Professional Journalists Award | Journalism | Won |
| Unspecified | NIHCM Television Award | Health and Medical Coverage | Won |
| Unspecified | WABJ Young Journalist of Excellence Award | Broadcast Journalism | Won |
FAQ: Everything You Need to Know About Rachel Scott
Key questions answered about the ABC News Senior Political Correspondent and her public life
Born Rachel V. Scott on May 5, 1993, in Diamond Bar, California, she joined ABC News in 2016 as a production associate and advanced through roles as White House Correspondent, Senior Congressional Correspondent, and Senior Political Correspondent. Her career at the network has included on-the-ground reporting during the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, the Biden-Putin Geneva summit, the 2024 Trump assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, and the NABJ convention Trump interview. She holds Emmy, Peabody, and Gracie Award recognition.
Scott and Smith announced their engagement in January 2024. The proposal took place at a location decorated with a gazebo and flowers, and Scott publicly stated that she initially believed the setup belonged to someone else's engagement. Their colleague Robin Roberts announced the engagement news to Good Morning America viewers before bringing Scott on-air to share her account. The wedding ceremony was held at the Bella Vista Estate near Santa Barbara, California, and included a traditional Native American blanket-wrapping ceremony honoring Smith's Ramapough Lenape indigenous heritage.
Her date of birth is documented across her ABC News professional biography and public records. She graduated from Diamond Bar High School in 2011 and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in 2015, placing the start of her professional broadcast career in 2016.
Her reporting platform at ABC News encompasses Good Morning America, World News Tonight with David Muir, Nightline, This Week with George Stephanopoulos, 20/20, ABC News Live, ABC News Digital, and ABC Audio. In July 2025, she also began co-hosting What You Need To Know on Disney+.
Third-party biography websites estimate her net worth in a range between $1 million and $1.5 million, with some outlier estimates reaching $3 million. None of those figures carry independent verification. Her documented professional history includes a decade-long career at ABC News across production, White House, congressional, and senior political correspondent roles — from which third-party estimators have derived those ranges. The verified answer remains: not publicly disclosed.
Scott was part of the international press pool accompanying President Biden to his first bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. When Putin did not directly answer, she followed up: "You didn't answer my question, sir… If all of your political opponents are dead, in prison, or poisoned, doesn't that send a message that you don't want a fair political fight?" The exchange received broad domestic and international media coverage. In 2022, Scott received the News and Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Emerging Journalist, the inaugural year that category existed.
Her path to USC included an initial rejection from the university as an undergraduate applicant. She enrolled at the University of California, Irvine following that rejection and later transferred to USC. On the rejection, Scott stated: "Though I couldn't see it at the time, that rejection letter was actually pushing me closer to new opportunities, to a dream I had not yet realized." She delivered those remarks at a USC commencement address. Prior to university, she also held a placement in the White House Internship Program in 2012 during the Barack Obama administration.
Third-party websites publish unverified estimates in a range between $120,000 and $250,000 annually for her senior correspondent role. Those figures do not trace back to any confirmed contractual disclosure or public record. The verified answer is: not publicly available.
No public record, verified announcement, or confirmed report established the birth of any child to the couple through September 2026. This detail remains out of the public domain.
Additional honors on record include the Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award, multiple Edward R. Murrow Awards, the RTCA Joan Shorenstein Barone Award for Congressional coverage, the NABJ Emerging Journalist of the Year (2020), Forbes 30 Under 30 (2020), the New York Press Club Journalism Award, the Society of Professional Journalists Award, the NIHCM Television Award, and the WABJ Young Journalist of Excellence Award.
Scott opened the interview by referencing Trump's documented past statements about Black and other women of color leaders, his public support for individuals involved in the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, and his stated positions on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Trump characterized the opening as a rude introduction and claimed Scott arrived thirty-five minutes late. A source at the event told media outlets that the delayed start resulted from Trump's demand that the NABJ not conduct a live fact-check of his answers. The interview generated national media coverage, particularly around Trump's remarks regarding Vice President Kamala Harris and her racial identity.
Scott publicly marked her father's retirement with a tribute in which she wrote: "To my superhero dad, ending his 40 years of service with the LAPD and Marine Corps. Always been proud to be your daughter." She also has a brother, Kevin Scott, who built a career as a fashion designer.
Rachel Scott and Elliot Smith married on September 6, 2025, at the Bella Vista Estate near Santa Barbara, California. No public record, verified statement, or confirmed report documented a pregnancy in connection with the couple through September 2026.
The couple announced their engagement in January 2024. Their outdoor wedding ceremony took place at the Bella Vista Estate near Santa Barbara, California, and included a traditional Native American blanket-wrapping ceremony honoring Smith's Ramapough Lenape indigenous heritage. Smith holds a professional position as a university administrator at Yale University.
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