A native of rural upstate New York, Jenn Pellegrino founded Defend Forgotten America to champion forgotten communities and restore power to the people who built America. 

Jenn previously served as Chief Spokesperson for the America First Policy Institute, a primetime host for Newsmax, and a White House Correspondent during President Trump’s first term. In these roles, she saw firsthand how Washington’s bureaucracy holds back small businesses and working families. 

From the border crisis to the lawlessness in America’s cities to the runaway inflation of the Biden administration, her reporting has exposed how the Washington establishment has failed everyday Americans. Through Defend Forgotten America, she’s now fighting to ensure state and local leaders—not unelected bureaucrats—drive America’s future. 

A proud alumnus of the University of South Carolina and an avid marathon runner, Jenn has completed over 80 marathons throughout the United States.