CBS Journalist Margaret Brennan Has Been Married to Her Husband Since 2015
Margaret and her husband first met when they were both college students.
Published Oct. 1 2024, 11:47 a.m. ET
The 2024 vice presidential debate on Oct. 1 may be our last opportunity to see a debate during the 2024 election. Although VP debates don't usually move that many voters, many are nonetheless intrigued by the prospect of J.D. Vance and Tim Walz going head-to-head.
Ahead of the debate, though, some also want to know more about Margaret Brennan, the current host of Face the Nation who is also serving as one of the debate's moderators. Here's what we know about Margaret, including who her husband is.
Who is Margaret Brennan's husband?
Margaret has been married to her husband, lawyer and Marines officer Ali Iyad "Yado" Yakub, since 2015. The two first met in 1998 when they were both studying foreign affairs at the University of Virginia. Yado was a senior and Margaret was a freshman.
"I thought she was too conservative, too preppy, too 'New England,'" he explained to The Washington Post. "She thought I was a bit wild and partied a bit much."
The two didn't date in college and didn't see each other again for more than a decade until they happened to run into each other at a bus stop in Washington, D.C. in 2012. Margaret had just moved to D.C. from New York for her job with CBS, and Yado was now working as an advocate judge for the Marine Corps.
"He listened really well, to the conversation and the follow-up. I was really struck by that because that's often not the case," Margaret explained.
The two eventually started dating and got married in 2015. Three years later, during an appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, she announced that they were pregnant with their first child.
Eamon Brennan Yakub was born on Sept. 11, 2018, and their name had special significance for both Margaret and Yado.
"Eamon means 'guardian' in Irish and, while spelled differently, also means 'righteous' in Arabic," she explained to People.
Their second child, Malek Murphy Yakub, was born in 2021.
Margaret announced her second presidency on Instagram, writing, "Yado, Eamon, and I are excited to bring Malek into the world as we emerge from the pandemic and look forward to getting close with friends and loved ones again."
Margaret is now preparing to play a central role in the VP debate, and some are suggesting that Yado may keep her from being fair.
Yado once worked for Senator Biden.
Even before the debate has happened, some on the right are suggesting that Margaret will not be able to moderate it fairly because of Yado's previous connection to Joe Biden. He worked in Biden's office more than 20 years ago when he was still a senator and helped draft legislation related to foreign policy.
While some may suggest that this means that she can't be fair, that's unlikely to be the case. She's an experienced journalist, and will likely ask tough questions of both VP candidates during the debate.
