Dana Perino has a decorated career as a political commentator, author, and former White House Press Secretary. She also has a thriving private life with a loving husband. Here is everything you need to know about Dana Perino’s children, career experience, and personal life. 

Dana was the 26th White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush from 14 September 2007 to 20 January 2009. She was the second female to take this position, following Dee Dee Myers, the White House Press Secretary during the Clinton administration.

Dana Perino’s profile summary

Real name
Dana Marie Perino

Gender
Female

Date of birth
9 May, 1972

Age
52 years old (as of 2024)

Zodiac sign
Taurus

Place of birth
Evanston, Wyoming, USA

Current residence
New York, USA

Nationality
American

Ethnicity
White

Religion
Christianity

Sexuality
Straight

Height
5’0″ (152 cm)

Weight
105 lbs (47 kgs)

Body measurements
34-23-34 inches (86-58-86 cm)

Hair colour
Blonde

Eye colour
Blue

Mother
Jan Perino

Father
Leo Perino

Siblings
1

Relationship status
Married

Spouse
Peter McMahon

School
Ponderosa High School

University
University of Illinois Springfield, Colorado State University-Pueblo

Profession
Spokesperson, commentator, journalist, and author

Net worth
$6 million

Instagram
@danaperino

X (Formerly Twitter)
@DanaPerino

Who are Dana Perino’s children?

Dana Perino is a stepmother to Peter McMahon’s two children from his previous marriage. In 2007, Perino became a step-grandmother after McMahon’s daughter gave birth to twins.

Dana and Peter also shared a cherished dog, Jasper, who had been with them for many years. Sadly, Jasper passed away in September 2021, a moment Perino shared with her followers on Instagram.

It is with broken hearts that Peter and I have to let you know that Jasper, America’s Dog, died today. A fast-spreading cancer caused him to leave us sooner than we’d ever hoped. We got to send him off – talking about all the fishing he can do in Heaven.

Dana has shared her deep compassion for children. She shared a valuable lesson from the 11 September attacks that she applied during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the 2001 attacks, Perino recognized the importance of reading to children in times of crisis. She became a New York Times bestselling author and was appointed to the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors in 2010 by President Obama.

Today, Perino is a political commentator for Fox News and also co-hosts the network’s talk show, The Five. She learned the significance of reading from former First Lady Laura Bush, who spearheaded the first National Book Festival in collaboration with the Library of Congress just three days before the 9/11 attacks.

First Lady Laura Bush had been a librarian and a teacher before her time in the White House, and Barbara Bush had started a literacy initiative. I remember Laura Bush saying that in times of uncertainty it is important to keep routines for children and story time should be a sacred time for families. That always stuck with me.

Perino, along with various other celebrities and authors, is using their large audiences to reassure children during this new crisis. Dana explains:

My goal with Story Time is to hopefully settle children down, open their imaginations, and to give them a sense of normalcy. And while some Americans may not be in a trauma situation, they are certainly facing changed circumstances with schools being closed or being displaced from work. One thing they can keep consistent is story time.

Just as President Bush sought to instil a sense of normalcy during the 11 September attacks, Dana aims to bring that same stability to homes across America and beyond during this crisis.

While other celebrity children’s book authors have joined in with virtual storytime, Perino stands out as the first cable news anchor to lead such a literacy initiative.

Dana Perino’s marriage life

Dana Perino’s husband is Peter McMahon, a British-American businessman. According to McMahon’s LinkedIn profile, he has served as the president of GreenSleeve Medical Corp for the past four years.

Before this role, he joined the global supermarket and retail giant Tesco in 2002 as the Director of Supply Chain.

What is the age difference between Dana Perino and her husband?

Peter McMahon, born on June 6, 1954, is 70, while Dana Perino, born on May 9, 1972, is currently 52. Therefore, Dana Perino’s age difference with her husband is 18.

How many times has Dana Perino been married

The American journalist has been married once. She married her husband, Peter McMahon, in 1998, and they have been together ever since. The couple met on a flight bound for Chicago in 1997.

She and McMahon chatted throughout the flight, and Perino found herself drawn to him. In a 2016 interview, she recalled thinking as the plane landed:

OK, Lord, I know I asked you to help me find somebody, but he lives in England, he’s 18 years older than me, he’s been married twice before. Did I mention he lives in England? This cannot possibly be it!

The attraction between the couple grew, and they began dating. Perino eventually moved to England, and about 11 months after meeting. In a 2018 interview with Yahoo!, the couple reflected on how they met and the early days of their relationship. McMahon shared:

All week, I’d been thinking about Dana. I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Perino agreed, saying:

I spent those 10 days unable to eat, or sleep, or even read.

Who was Dana Perino’s first husband?

It remains unclear whether Dana Perino had any serious relationships before meeting Peter McMahon. The TV news star has only publicly confirmed her marriage to the British businessman.

Has Peter McMahon been married before?

Although their union was Dana’s first and only marriage, Peter had been married before. It is reported that Peter has previously been married twice and has two children from the said marriages and subsequent grandchildren.

Dana Perino’s early background

Dana Perino was born on 9 May 1972 in Evanston, Wyoming, but she spent most of her childhood in Denver, Colorado, after her family relocated there when she was a toddler. Her paternal lineage includes Italian immigrants, two of her great-grandparents having migrated from Italy.

Perino has fondly written about her family, especially her grandparents, in her book Everything Will Be Okay: Life Lessons for Young Women (from a Former Young Woman), published in 2021. She highlighted her grandfather, Leo E. Perino, a World War II Marine veteran and rancher from Newcastle, Wyoming.

In a 2021 summary for CBS News, Perino shared memories of him teaching her to ride her pony, Sally, and giving her her first pair of red cowboy boots. These experiences sparked a lifelong love for horses, which she continued to ride throughout her childhood.

Perino even took up barrel racing under her grandfather’s guidance, describing herself as a “pretty good horsewoman.” She also cherished attending the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas annually with her uncle and cousin.

Who is Dana Perino’s mom?

Dana Perino’s mother is Janice M. Perino. In 2021, Dana interviewed her mom for a Fox News podcast. During the interview, Jan shared details about her early professional life, explaining that she had worked in a doctor’s office, the state hospital in Wyoming, and the court system.

After relocating to Denver, she transitioned into marketing for a psychiatric hospital. Dana Perino has a younger sister named Angela, who goes by Angie. According to her LinkedIn profile, Angie has been working at Experian Health for over a decade as of this writing.

What is Dana Perino’s education?

For her education, Perino attended Ponderosa High School in Parker, Colorado, and later earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Colorado State University Pueblo (formerly the University of Southern Colorado) in 1994.

She minored in political science and Spanish and was active in the university’s forensics team. During her college years, she worked at KTSC-TV, the campus-based Rocky Mountain PBS affiliate, and held a job as a disc jockey at KCCY-FM, working the 2 to 6 a.m. shift.

After completing her undergraduate studies, Perino pursued a master’s degree in public affairs reporting at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS). While at UIS, she worked as a daily reporter for WCIA, a CBS affiliate, covering the Illinois Capitol, building a strong foundation for her future journalism and public affairs career.

What is Dana Perino’s net worth?

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Dana Perino’s net worth is alleged to be $6 million. This wealth comes from her successful career as a television personality, political commentator, author, and co-host of Fox News programs like The Five and America’s Newsroom.

In addition to her media career, she was the White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush.

Where is Dana Perino today?

Dana Perino is a political commentator for Fox News and co-hosts the network’s talk show The Five. She previously hosted The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino and, in early 2021, transitioned to co-anchor America’s Newsroom alongside Bill Hemmer.

In May 2023, Perino was honored with an honorary doctorate of humane letters from her alma mater, CSU Pueblo. Perino credits her father, Leo—who shares the same name as her grandfather—for sparking her interest in news and politics from a young age. She told the Rocky Mountain News:

He wanted me to have read the newspapers and to have picked out one or two articles to discuss by the time he got home. And then we always watched the evening news together and my Dad and I would always watch the Sunday shows as well.

Perino further commented on this tradition in a Fox News op-ed in 2015:

When I was in third grade, my dad started a tradition with me — I had to read the Rocky Mountain News and The Denver Post and choose two articles to discuss with him before dinner. I remember looking forward to that. I’d ask questions about the news and give my opinion, and then my dad would draw me out, making me think through my arguments, challenging me to look at issues from another point of view. He’d gently play the Devil’s Advocate. That started a lifetime love of the news and throughout my teens we would get all the news magazines at the house and we’d dog ear the pages of articles that interested us so that we could discuss them.

FAQs

How old is Dana Perino? Born on 9 May 1972, the media figure is 52 years old as of 2024. Her zodiac sign is Taurus.
Who was Dana Perino’s first husband? Dana Perino was only married once to Peter McMahon in 1998.
How old is Dana Perino’s husband? Peter McMahon was born on June 6, 1954, and is 70 years old as of 2024.
Has Dana Perino been married before? No, Dana Perino has not been married before. Peter McMahon is her first and only husband.
What ethnicity is Dana Perino? She is of Italian-American descent.
Does Dana Perino have siblings? She has one sibling, Angie Perino, who was born on March 21, 1986.

Although there is hype around Dana Perino’s children, she and her husband are content with their family. Dana happily blends into Peter’s already existing family, including his children.

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