A Man With a New York State of Mind

by Natasha Wolff | June 23, 2020 11:00 am

As a trusted news anchor and host of Greg Kelly Reports[1], Greg Kelly has earned the trust of viewers across the country through years of on-air reporting. The son of former New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly[2] (with whom he speaks daily) has had his roots planted in Manhattan since covering events like the 2001 New York City mayoral campaign and live reporting from Ground Zero. For nearly 10 years, Kelly was the co-host of Fox’s local morning show Good Day New York alongside Rosanna Scotto, where he became a household name. Before all that, Kelly was a Marine Corps fighter pilot flying AV-8B Harrier jump jets for almost a decade. Since leaving Good Day New York in 2017, his loyal audience has wondered where his commanding charisma would land him next.

In January, Kelly launched a national primetime nightly news and opinion show, Greg Kelly Reports, for cable news network Newsmax TV. The nightly news show showcases Kelly’s skillful broadcasting coupled with his signature New York City[3] confidence. “Now, I’m able to give my honest point of view of current events as they unfold,” says Kelly. “The first thing that struck me when I began at Newsmax is how much more energy being an anchor on my own took, as opposed to being a co-host. When I was working with Rosanna, so much of what we did worked because of our chemistry—we were so comfortable ad-libbing together.”

But, of course, coverage changed a lot this spring with the onset of the coronavirus crisis, which has dominated news cycles. “The coronavirus crisis is so broad, keeping up with everything is a full-time challenge,” says Kelly. “At Newsmax, we’ve spent a lot of time focused on nursing homes, where so many infections and deaths have resulted from wrongheaded state policies. It’s a scandal that too many in the media haven’t covered enough.”

Since leaving the morning show grind, he’s been focusing on his health and getting enough sleep. “Dr. Oz told me how important it is to go to bed and wake up at the same time, even on weekends,” says Kelly. “I look and feel decades younger.” So, is he stressed during the pandemic? “The uncertainty of this time is not quite as unsettling for me as it might have been had I not served in the military,” explains Kelly. Also, on the advice of a friend, he’s discovered running to blow off steam. “Anywhere between three and seven miles almost every day,” he says. “I was terrible at first, but now I love it.”

Greg Kelly Reports airs weeknights at 7 p.m. EDT on Newsmax TV.

Source URL: https://dujour.com/culture/interview-greg-kelly-reports-newsmax-ray-kelly-nyc/