Cristina Alesci is a business and politics correspondent for CNN, covering financial markets, economic policy and campaigns.
Alesci reports on how average Americans, big business and Wall Street are impacted by the Trump administration’s trade and tax policies. Her most recent work tells the story of workers who are coping with large scale layoffs in the Midwest, the stock market turbulence, global growth and the trade war between the US and China. Her background covering the financial industry for over a decade led her to break news that shed light on the inner workings of the administration, including its decision to impose tariffs on China and formation of outside business councils that helped burnish the “CEO White House.”
Alesci has interviewed some of the world’s most influential policymakers, investors and executives, including former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, highlighting his efforts to stave off climate change and exploring his potential presidential ambitions. Other recent interviews for CNN have included Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon.
Alesci has also reported extensively on government ethics. During the 2016 Presidential election, Her stories highlighted the potential conflicts of interest faced by each of President Trump and Secretary Clinton. Since the election, she has reported on the conflicts posed by the family businesses of both the President and his son-in-law, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner. Her stories on the continuing ties between senior members of the administration and their financial interests are featured regularly on The Lead with Jake Tapper, The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and OutFront with Erin Burnett.
She joined CNN from Bloomberg Television, where her coverage of high-profile deals made headlines and moved markets. Cristina was responsible for breaking news on some of the biggest deals of the decade, including Facebook’s initial public offering, the buyout of Neiman Marcus and the fight to take Dell private. While at Bloomberg, she also covered the sports, music and entertainment industries, and contributed to Businessweek and Bloomberg Markets Magazine.
She received an M.A. in Journalism with honors from The City University of New York’s Graduate School of Journalism, a B.S. in Criminal Justice (magna cum laude) from Pace University, and a post-baccalaureate certificate in business from Columbia University. She serves on the board of Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY and lives in New York City.
