Trey Yingst is one of the world’s top foreign correspondents and war reporters. He currently serves as chief foreign correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC) where he leads live coverage surrounding the Israel-Hamas war from the ground in Southern Israel. Previously, he covered Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, providing 24/7 coverage from the ground in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. In the summer of 2021, he reported from Doha, Qatar and Kabul, Afghanistan on the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the area. While in Afghanistan, Yingst provided an exclusive look inside a Taliban prison as well as interviewed the leader of the Haqqani Terror Network, Anas Haqqani. Earlier that year, he covered the Israel-Hamas conflict from the Gaza Strip. From the Middle East, Yingst has broken multiple international stories including the existence of a secret Iranian base and the smuggling of Iranian oil to Syria. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Yingst secured exclusive behind the scenes access inside the Coronavirus Critical Care Unit at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv, Israel. His FOX News Books title “Black Saturday” published on October 1, 2024, timed to the first anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attacks in Israel and placed atop the New York Times bestseller list.
Prior to joining the network, Yingst served as Chief Washington correspondent for OAN, where he covered the start of the Trump administration. During his 16 months covering the Trump administration, Yingst was first to report on major stories including the indictment announcement of 13 Russian nationals and the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s plans to meet with President Trump. Prior to this, he contributed to BBC News where he reported on multiple breaking news events, including the police brutality protests in Baltimore, MD and Ferguson, MO, making national headlines for his coverage of the latter. In addition, Yingst contributed to Canada’s CTV News and co-founded News2Share, an online media outlet publishing stories and multimedia content from conflict zones, while he was still in college.
In this interview I speak to Trey Yingst, one of the world’s most accomplished foreign correspondents & war reporters who has covered the Israel-Hamas War, Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine and secured interviews with everyone from the leaders of Hamas, the Haqqani Terror Network and Islamic Jihad to the Presidents, Prime Ministers and leaders of the nations fighting them. Trey has broken several important international stories, and in this interview we discuss the realities of war reporting, and what we can learn about politics and conflict from seeing the world through the eyes of those on the ground.
Q: How did you become a war reporter?
[Trey Yingst]: I’ve always been interested in foreign coverage. When I first got into journalism as a student at American University, my goal was to change people’s minds about others by helping them understand different perspectives. I didn’t necessarily aim to make them feel one way or another, but rather to foster a sense of connection with people they might not know or might even disagree with. During my time at university, a friend and I founded a company called News2Share, where we sold raw video footage from war zones.
When I was 20, I travelled to Gaza during the 51-day war between Israel and Hamas. I also reported from Ukraine, as well as Ferguson and Baltimore in the U.S., always trying to establish myself in the field of war reporting. I looked up to the greats of the media industry—figures like Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow—who practiced journalism the way I believed it should be done. That’s how I began my career, and now, more than 10 years later, I’m still doing the same work, often in the same places, which is quite interesting.
Q: What is the importance of real-time war reporting?
[Trey Yingst]: I believe it’s crucial for people to understand what’s happening in real time, and that’s a key part of what we do at Fox with our live coverage. From the beginning of this conflict, and others, we’ve been on the ground as events unfold—whether amid incoming rocket fire or reporting live from Ukraine after the Russian invasion. The goal is to make people care about the story, which is why our audience often engages deeply with our coverage. It’s extensive, yet also personal, bringing the news directly into people’s homes, into their living rooms, and bedrooms, in a way that helps them empathize with those we interview while grasping how these stories unfold in real time.
I’ve also worked to integrate digital reporting into this approach, which is why I post real-time updates on platforms like X, TikTok, and Instagram. This serves two purposes: it’s part of creating a more transparent news cycle, especially when we can’t be in multiple places at once, and it gives people a sense of what it’s like to be on the ground as things happen. In a two-minute report—or even with a bit more time—there’s only so much that can be included, but there’s a lot of context behind the scenes that helps people truly understand what it’s like to be there. Whether we’re in Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, or anywhere else, it’s about bringing people to the story and letting them experience the news in a more direct, tangible way.
Q: How do you choose the line between what you should (and should not) cover?
[Trey Yingst]: I think much of what we witness can be quite overwhelming for the general public because we’re seeing war firsthand. Initially, I struggled with how to present this content. Sometimes, I’d get a call from my father, who I consider a mentor and my “second agent” because he monitors everything I post and report, offering feedback. I remember him calling me two years ago, advising me to be cautious about sharing graphic content from war zones. He reminded me that people at home aren’t always prepared to see that kind of imagery. When it is necessary to include graphic content in our reporting or digital coverage, it’s important to give a warning, allowing people to decide if they want to engage with it.
That’s how I approach curating this kind of content—making sure to alert viewers when the next thing they see may be graphic, so they can choose whether they are in the right headspace to view it or prefer to stay less closely updated on the conflict.
Another principle that guides my reporting is the concept of “human-first journalism.” I aim to capture the human experience directly and take an objective approach to storytelling. My role isn’t to support one side or another but to pursue truth through my work, giving people an authentic view of the complexities of war. It’s not a black-and-white issue; the people involved are complex and exist on a spectrum, and I try to convey that in my reporting. Sometimes this comes across on air, and other times through my photography, offering viewers a clearer understanding of what’s happening on the ground. Ultimately, I want people to watch the reports or see the updates and draw their own conclusions, without relying on me to tell them what to think.
Q: How do you deal with the psychological and emotional consequences of what you see in war?
[Trey Yingst]: I want to set an example for this generation of war reporters, and for my generation as a whole, that you don’t have to rely on drugs or alcohol to cope with traumatic experiences. Take today, for example. My morning started with an early alarm—not from my phone, but from air raid sirens sounding throughout the city amid an incoming rocket attack. I tried to go back to sleep but couldn’t, so I got up, took a cold shower, and headed to the gym. Afterward, I had a healthy, clean lunch (chicken, broccoli, rice, water) and continued with my day. Right now, I feel great. I’ve had two coffees, I’m focused, and we’re reporting throughout the day on developments on the ground. That morning routine set me up for what could be a really productive day, filled with focus and clarity on the work at hand—to tell these stories and share them with our audience.
When it comes to coping, some people might face similar situations and try to escape the reality of being in a warzone by turning to alcohol or drugs. I want to encourage people to avoid that path and find healthier alternatives. Cold exposure, like an ice bath or cold shower, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, getting outside for a walk in the sun—ideally, a combination of all these things—can make a huge difference. You’d be surprised how your brain starts to adjust after just a few days, making you feel lighter, healthier, and more capable of handling whatever life throws at you. That’s how I manage the stress of this job.
I also remind myself of my mission: to educate and inform, to hold those in power accountable for their words and actions, and to provide storytelling from this part of the world that helps people care about the conflicts we cover.
Q: What have you learned about the fragility of peace?
[Trey Yingst]: I’ve learned that people exist on a spectrum, and that’s something many observers don’t like to acknowledge. But it’s a reality across all the wars we cover, on all sides of every conflict. No one thinks exactly the same; some people hold very hawkish views on certain issues while being less so on others. For instance, in this conflict, there are those who don’t want to see a ceasefire until certain benchmarks are met on the ground. It’s challenging to convey this to an audience because of the nuance involved, and I’ve tried to capture that complexity in my new book. I interviewed a broad range of individuals across that spectrum to show just how diverse opinions are, not just between Israelis and Palestinians but within each group.
That said, I’m often struck by how similar people are. As a third-party observer to conflicts around the world, I’ve found myself sitting down for conversations with people others couldn’t imagine meeting each other. For example, in this conflict, I’ve had breakfast and coffee with leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza before October 7th. Some were my sources during my reporting on this war. I’ve also flown on the Israeli Prime Minister’s plane, and interviewed Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, multiple times for my book. Beyond that, I regularly speak with Israeli and Palestinian civilians.
When you take a step back and view this from a 30,000-foot perspective, I try to highlight the role of civilians in conflict. Officials, especially those in power controlling militaries or governments, often want to shape the narrative, to spin you to their story. But when you speak to civilians in the midst of war, they share more about the personal impact on their lives, and I think my audience and readers can connect more deeply with those voices. They’re just like you and me—business owners, students, athletes, musicians, or simply family members trying to get by amid the chaos. From my life experience here, not just my reporting, I’d conclude that the civilian populations of Israel and Gaza are, in many ways, very similar.
Q: How do you build on the ground trust so quickly as a war reporter?
[Trey Yingst]: Have you ever read Robert Greene’s *48 Laws of Power*? One of the laws is “discover every man’s thumbscrew,” which means that every person has something that matters deeply to them. I think you can approach this not from a negative perspective, but a positive one: to understand the “good guys,” the “bad guys,” and everyone in between. Why do they do what they do? As a journalist, the best way to uncover that is to listen—authentically. When you truly listen, people notice, and they feel heard. Even if you disagree with their views or find them difficult to understand, it’s still important to listen.
I’ll share an example that I haven’t discussed on any podcast before. After the Taliban took over Afghanistan, we were at Kabul International Airport, waiting for a meeting with a top official. We ended up sitting with Taliban fighters who were from a unit that used to target American forces. They were showing me videos on their phones of roadside bombs they had detonated against American and British troops. As a peaceful, moderate person, I don’t condone that—I think all war is horrific, and I wish I didn’t have to cover it. But if I’m going to cover it, I need to understand the people involved. So, I engaged with them as fellow humans, asking, “Why did you feel the need to do this?” They explained that they saw the Americans as an invading force; it was all they had known growing up. Interestingly, they didn’t hate Americans and even joked with me, asking if I was afraid to be in the same room with them. I replied, “No, I’m just here to learn more about who you are and what your plans are for Afghanistan.”
Experiences like this were common after the Taliban takeover. I often found myself sitting across from officials who had spent their lives fighting Americans, and there I was, an American, sharing tea and discussing the situation. I found that when people felt I was genuinely listening and curious about their position, they opened up more.
I take the same approach with Hamas leadership, Taliban leadership, Islamic Jihad, as well as Israeli, American, and other leaders around the world, regardless of their position. I often tell them, “I’m not here to virtue signal, but I’m also not here to help you. I’m here to listen, and I make no promises about how the story will turn out. The only thing I can promise is that I will be fair and truthful.” This approach has earned me significant access globally because people see that I’m not reporting to please anyone. My goal is to inform and educate about the reality of the situation.
For example, if a group like Hamas wants to negotiate a ceasefire or peace deal, I’ll report on that. If they decide to fire rockets at civilians, I’ll report on that too.
Q: How can we moderate our positions, and not be so polarised?
[Trey Yingst]: I try to see things through a lens of empathy, especially when it comes to civilians. My approach is to report from a human-first, civilian-first perspective so that people can understand the real impact of war on ordinary lives. When you look at conflicts through an empathetic lens, you start to better understand why people act the way they do and say the things they say. This doesn’t mean condoning horrific acts or celebrating loss; it means recognizing that the majority of those caught in conflict are bystanders who end up paying the highest price.
It’s disheartening to see the discourse online, where there’s often cheering and celebration of violence. Just in the last 24 hours, for example, we reported on a Hezbollah drone attack targeting an Israeli base north of Tel Aviv, which killed four soldiers and injured 51. Many online were celebrating the deaths of these soldiers, but cheering for the loss of life is never a positive thing. It’s the lowest form of thinking to celebrate the death of another.
From my experience, the most skilled soldiers I’ve met worldwide, regardless of where they’re from, don’t celebrate the death of even their enemies. They operate with clarity and objectivity; if they have to kill, it’s often out of survival, not joy. Following that incident, there was an Israeli strike in Gaza last night at a tent complex near the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir el-Balah, where four people were killed. Israel claimed they were targeting Hamas but didn’t provide much evidence, and the scenes that unfolded were horrifying. Yet again, there were people online cheering this, saying it was a good thing.
As a journalist who has witnessed war firsthand, I find this lack of empathy deeply troubling. War is never something to celebrate, and there’s nothing good about seeing people suffer or lose their lives. That’s why I strive to report with empathy, focusing on the civilians caught in the middle, so that readers can understand the human toll of conflict and perhaps rethink how they engage with these narratives.
Q: Do you believe peace is really possible in some of our most entrenched conflicts?
[Trey Yingst]: That’s a great question, and I think the answer varies from one conflict to another. The resolutions to the current conflicts around the world will likely be quite different from each other. Take Russia and Ukraine, for instance. The front line there is largely stagnant, with hundreds of artillery shells exchanged daily and thousands of soldiers losing their lives each quarter. The sad reality is that the eventual resolution may end up being quite similar to what could have been achieved through diplomacy before the war even started. It won’t be exactly the same, but close enough, which is tragic when you consider all the lives lost in an objectively unnecessary conflict.
When you visit towns and villages in Eastern Ukraine, many of which we’ve seen ourselves, there’s often nothing left. Even if Russia manages to capture some of these areas, what are they really gaining? Extra land in an already vast country, but without its people—most have fled, and many of these towns have been reduced to rubble. Eventually, there will be a diplomatic solution; there always is, even if it’s just a temporary end to the fighting.
The situation here, however, is far more complex, and I’m less optimistic about the prospects for peace. This is largely due to deep-rooted historical and religious disputes over specific pieces of land. For example, the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound in Jerusalem is one of the holiest sites in Islam, while Jews refer to the same location as the Temple Mount. Until there’s a solution that allows both sides to worship there freely and humanizes everyone involved, there will continue to be conflict, and that’s just one piece of the puzzle in Jerusalem. There are also significant issues in the West Bank and now Gaza.
So, this situation is much more complex, but I believe the path to peace, or at least coexistence, starts with the humanization of everyone involved. It requires recognizing everyone’s right to live safely in their homes without feeling like a sub-human population. That means mutual acknowledgment, respect, and understanding.
Right now, as seen in recent events, we’re far from that reality, and much of this is a societal issue. It’s a topic we’ll continue to report on as we cover this story because getting closer to peace requires everyone to see each other’s humanity.
Q: Are there moments of beauty in conflict?
[Trey Yingst]: Those are the stories I feel most connected to and most excited to cover. They don’t always start out beautiful, but they reveal something profound. I remember meeting a blind man in Ukraine who hadn’t evacuated when the Russians partially occupied his city. Seven weeks later, we went back to find him, but his house was completely destroyed, and we didn’t know where he was. Eventually, we tracked him down and learned he had been injured when a Russian shell hit his home, but he survived. Reuniting with him was a beautiful moment in the middle of a dark story.
There was also a little girl I met in 2021 in Gaza named Nana. We were in Khan Yunis, Gaza’s second-largest city, and I noticed how happy she was. She didn’t speak any English, and my Arabic wasn’t strong enough for a conversation, so I asked the fixer why she was so cheerful, even though her house had been destroyed. He said, “She found her fish. Her fish is alive.” And that was the story. I remember writing the opening line: “Eight-year-old Nana is just happy she found her fish.”
It’s these human stories that cut through the darkness of what we cover. They allow people to connect on a basic, relatable level. Even if someone is a parent in the United States who doesn’t know where Gaza is on a map, they understand the joy of an 8-year-old finding a pet fish. That connection makes them realize, “Oh, they’re human, just like me.” When I have the chance to tell stories that build that bridge, that’s why I do what I do.