Ainsley Earhardt, co-host of “Fox and Friends” on Fox News, carries her Christian faith with her as she broadcasts into more than a million homes every morning. Beginning her career in local broadcasting in her home state of South Carolina, she joined Fox News in 2007 and in 2016 joined the channel’s flagship morning show. As a child, however, journalism wasn’t always her first choice.
“I wanted to be an actress growing up, and I was very involved in theater and loved being on the stage,” she said.
In college, however, her parents encouraged her to lean into other interests besides theater and she soon found broadcast journalism was a good fit.
“I figured out I’m really good at this and I really like it,” she said. “And God gets the glory. I felt like, ‘I think this is what he’s created me to do’.”
Politics is now a way of life, but back in the beginning, Earhardt shied away from political discourse, because “I hadn’t I hadn’t studied politics, I wasn’t involved in politics.” Now, she says, because of her desire, God has continued to open doors to give her confidence to discuss the hot issues of the day.
“It’s really cool to see how God gave me this desire,” she explained. “I stayed away from Hollywood and stayed away from the movies and commercials and that kind of thing, which is a blessing. Even though I was even though I really wanted to pursue that for a long time. Now I’m in broadcasting and I feel like, among certain circles, I’m respected, and God’s voice is speaking through me every day on air. I’m able to talk about God on Fox and I still live in New York City. And I just know God gave me so much, and I just want to use what he’s given me to bless others, and to get people to know Him and to love Him and to eternity, eventually.”
Eternity is a subject on Earhardt’s mind a lot these days, as her mother, who has 24-hour in-home care, struggles with health issues related to a stroke and diabetes.
“We don’t know how much longer we’re going to have with my mom,” she said. “She’s doing great. She’s strong as an ox. I know that she loves Jesus. So even if God takes her one day, and if He takes her, which He will one day, He’ll take all of us, I’ll be at peace with that.”
It was a phrase her mother repeated to her that provided the inspiration for Earhardt’s recent bestselling book, “I’m Glad You Were Born,” which hit the top spot on the New York Times Bestseller list for Children’s Picture Books.
“The book was written with my mom’s message, ‘I’m So Glad You Were Born,’ which is what she always said to us on our birthdays, and I always say it on air,” she said. “So it really just was me celebrating our children or celebrating everybody’s birthday, even if you’re 45 years old. ‘I’m so glad you were born because you’ve made an impact on other people’s lives and God’s using you’.”
Whether thinking of her mother or her six-year-old daughter, Hayden, Earhardt says the message of the book resonates with her strongly. It’s about making an impact and loving each other while we’re here in this world together.
“(My daughter and I) love being together, and we love this home; that’s what the book is about,” she said. “Have fun with your children, and celebrate their lives. You only have 18 years with them. Then they go off to live their own lives. So just embrace that time. Love them, have fun with them, tell them you’re so glad that they were born. Because there’s such blessings in our lives. And it’s the next generation and they’re so important.”
Earhardt’s book “I’m Glad You Were Born” is currently available through Zonderkidz Publishing. Watch an exclusive video interview with Earhardt and Reel Faith’s DeWayne Hamby below.
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