CNN political commentator Alice Stewart has died at the age of 58 in Virginia, the network confirmed.
The cause of death is not clear, but “no foul play is suspected,” according to CNN, which reported that Stewart’s body “was found outdoors in the Belle View neighborhood in northern Virginia early Saturday morning” on May 18.
Officers “believe a medical emergency occurred,” CNN reported. Stewart’s final post on X came on May 17, when she wrote, “I always enjoy joining @wolfblitzer on #CNN talking politics with mi amiga @MariaTCardona!” On May 15, she wrote of President Joe Biden, “It’s political malpractice for the Biden team to put him on a debate stage with Trump. Bring it on.”
Although some people on X are speculating that her cause of death was related to the COVID vaccine, there is no evidence for this; her cause of death has not been released yet, according to CNN. A reader’s note on X reminded people, “There is no evidence to suggest Alice Stewart’s death was caused by Covid vaccines. No foul play is suspected, and officers believe a medical emergency occurred.” The reader’s note cites CNN and The Hollywood Reporter.
Colleagues Offered Tributes to Alice Stewart, Calling Her a ‘Political Veteran’ & ‘Award-Winning Journalist’
Stewart’s CNN colleagues offered tributes to her.
“Alice was a very dear friend and colleague to all of us at CNN,” CNN CEO Mark Thompson said in an email to staff May 19, according to CNN’s story on Stewart’s death. “A political veteran and an Emmy Award-winning journalist who brought an incomparable spark to CNN’s coverage, known across our bureaus not only for her political savvy, but for her unwavering kindness. Our hearts are heavy as we mourn such an extraordinary loss.”
CNN’s Jim Acosta wrote on X, “My heart is broken over the passing of our dear colleague Alice Stewart. We’ve been friends going back to the 2012 campaign. We spent so many weekends talking politics with the wonderful @MariaTCardona – they always spoke so passionately but with kindness and civility. Alice was my friend and I loved her. RIP.”
CNN political commentator Maria Cardona wrote on X, “I am turned inside out at this tragic news. As many know, Alice & I were like sisters from opposite ends of the political aisle. We debated but w respect. I will miss her dearly but seems God needed some top-notch communications help. RIP beautiful friend.”
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) wrote on X, “Heartbreaking. Alice was wonderful and talented and a dear friend. And she loved America fiercely. She lived every day to the fullest, and she will be deeply missed. May God’s comfort and peace be upon her loved ones. RIP.”
Alice Stewart Got Her Start as a Reporter & Producer in Georgia Before Working for Then Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee
In an interview with Harvard International Review, Stewart described her early days in journalism. “So, I started out as a reporter and producer in Savannah, Georgia, and then I went to work in Atlanta behind the scenes as a producer and then to Little Rock, Arkansas, where I was a news anchor and reporter,” she told the site.
She then was hired as the communications director for then Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and moved to public relationships in his presidential campaign when he ran for president, the site says.
“And since then, I’ve worked in communications on four presidential campaigns and been Deputy Secretary of State in Arkansas. Now, after 2016, after the presidential campaign of Ted Cruz, when he got out of the race, I was offered a job at CNN as a political commentator,” Stewart told the Harvard International Review. “I now have the good fortune to talk about politics on the news. I also write for CNN’s website, I do commentary for CNN International, and I’m a contributor on National Public Radio.”
Stewart told Harvard Political Review: “My position at CNN is to be a conservative voice yet an independent thinker. I’m not a Kool-Aid drinker; I’m not a never-Trumper, and I didn’t check my common sense and decency at the door when I voted for (Trump).” In June 2023, she wrote an opinion article for CNN in which she urged Republican voters to reconsider their support for Trump.
Alice Stewart Was a Marathon Runner Whose Family Includes Several Siblings
CNN reported that she was a runner who ran the TCS New York City Marathon in November 2023.
A man wrote on Facebook, “Got the news yesterday evening that my dear friend Alice Stewart had passed away. Heartbreaking to say the least when you get news like this. Alice was truly one of the kindest and most genuine people I’ve ever been around. I had the privilege to grow up across the street from her and the entire Fraker family and it truly was a blessing to me. They mean the world to me.” The post says Stewart left behind three siblings.
The obituary for Stewart’s father, Gerald Fraker, said he died at age 78 after a long illness in 2018. He was a salesman. Stewart’s mother, Carolyn Elizabeth Bestedt, died at age 66 of caner in 2003, her obituary says. It says she was a nurse. Neither obituary lists Stewart as married or having a husband or kids.
On Facebook, she posted professional headshots, about running, and about her dog.
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