On Tuesday, much of the world came to a standstill for a moment as it absorbed the news of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s engagement.
“Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,” the couple shared on their Instagram pages.
The impact of that news was felt across all segments, from business to politics to sports, landing at the top of web page headlines of entertainment, national, and sporting news outlets.
The news was so big that CBS News’ White House reporter Olivia Rinaldi, who was working her regular assignment, was caught on camera reacting in real time and insisting she should be the one to break it—which she ultimately did.
CBS News reporter @olivialarinaldi discovers Taylor Swift is engaged to Travis Kelce moments before going on live TV. “I feel like Paul Revere right now.” https://t.co/SsAqe2q4US pic.twitter.com/0fS6lCqEIR
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 26, 2025
On Wednesday’s edition of CBS Mornings, Rinaldi retold the episode, which went viral, explaining to the show’s co-hosts how she was on standby, talking to CBS News 24/7’s Reed Cowan, when her producer told her about the engagement.
“This is breaking news, we gotta talk about this right now,” Rinaldi recounted, describing how the events unfolded as she stood outside the White House. She informed the control room and they responded that they were already working on it.
Because she was already in place with a camera ready, Rinaldi pushed for the control room to go back to her so that she could relay the news.
Rinaldi faced the TVNewser hot seat to answer questions on her eventful afternoon and show us how deep her Taylor Swift fandom really goes.
Whose arm did you have to twist so that you could be the one to break the engagement news on-air?
Every day on the White House beat is a surprise. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time for this announcement.
As a White House reporter, we’re often on standby on the North Lawn in case President Trump or his team makes news or speaks. On Tuesday, I had just wrapped up reporting on Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook and President Trump’s latest cabinet meeting when our producer Gabby Ake texted me the big news. My jaw dropped. My mic was hot, and I alerted our control room to come back to me so I could break the news to our viewers.
I was quickly back on our news program and was thrilled to share the update. It’s proof that anything can happen in this career—whether that’s breaking news in politics or pop culture.
How much time elapsed between receiving the news and breaking the news on air?
It’s not out of the ordinary that we learn breaking news and quickly jump on live TV to share the updates. In this case, it was only a few short minutes between when I got the text and went on air. Our control room acted very quickly, so they deserve a lot of credit for making it happen.
Would you consider breaking the news of the engagement a major career accomplishment?
It’s a privilege to report on the White House. It was my childhood dream to become a reporter, so every day I am focused on giving it my all—bringing the most accurate, in-depth information to Americans. It just so happened that this week I had the special opportunity to combine my love for reporting on DC with my favorite musical artist. Whenever there’s a moment to tap into joy and share it with others, I consider that a career accomplishment.
How deep is your Swiftie fandom?
I know I’m not alone when I say I’ve been listening to Taylor Swift since I was a young girl. I remember downloading her debut album to my iPod in 2006! It feels like her music has been a soundtrack to my childhood into adulthood. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t listen to The Tortured Poets Department album on repeat when I reported on the campaign trail last year. As we prepare for the “royal wedding,” this moment has been made all the more sweet because I could share it with millions of others who feel the same.