US television journalist Rob Finnerty has drawn criticism from Kenyans after comparing Nairobi to disorderly American cities during a broadcast discussion on immigration, prompting him to apologise on October 13, 2026.
The Newsmax presenter acknowledged that he had misspoken during the segment and expressed regret over remarks that triggered a backlash on social media.
In a statement on Tuesday, October 13, Finnerty acknowledged that he had made a mistake and expressed regret over comments that sparked outrage among Kenyans on social media.
“I want to offer an apology to the people of Nairobi, Kenya. The passion you have for your city and homeland is amazing… We all make mistakes. I misspoke, and I am sorry to anyone I have offended,” Finnerty said.
The controversy stemmed from a Newsmax segment in which the journalist discussed immigration, street conditions and delivery workers in New York City, arguing that immigration from developing countries under former US President Joe Biden had changed the character of some American cities.
“They move to blue sanctuary cities, and the cities then start to look more like Nairobi than New York City,” Finnerty said during the broadcast.
He further claimed that the media was failing to adequately cover the changes he was describing, drawing comparisons between developments in New York and those in the United Kingdom and France.
The segment featured interviews with individuals who identified themselves as coming from countries including Guatemala, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Mexico and Guinea.
None of the individuals featured in the supplied clip identified themselves as being from Kenya or Nairobi, a point that became central to the backlash against Finnerty’s remarks.
Kenyans took to social media to condemn the comparison, with some flooding Newsmax and Finnerty’s social media pages with demands for an apology.
Some questioned why Nairobi had been singled out in a discussion about immigration and urban conditions in the United States, particularly when none of the people interviewed in the segment identified Kenya as their country of origin.
Who is Finnerty?
Finnerty is a television news anchor and host who has built his career in American broadcast journalism, working in local television markets before moving to national cable news.
Born on May 1, 1982, in Massachusetts, he attended Fairfield University in Connecticut.
Before joining Newsmax, Finnerty worked at several television stations, including WTSP in Tampa Bay, Florida, where he served as a morning news anchor.
His previous broadcasting experience also includes KCTV in Kansas City, Missouri, KBAK-TV in Bakersfield, California, and New England Cable News (NECN).
His career took a national turn after he joined Newsmax, a US cable news network known for its conservative perspective.
Finnerty initially became known to a wider audience through Wake Up America, the network’s morning news and talk programme.
In October 2024, he moved to the network’s evening schedule, taking over the 8pm Eastern Time slot with his own primetime programme, Finnerty. The show replaced the programme previously hosted by Eric Bolling.
The presenter is married and has two children, a son and a daughter.
Previous on-air controversies
Finnerty has also attracted attention over other incidents during his broadcasting career.
On May 10, 2021, he confronted former Obama speechwriter David Litt during a live interview after Litt attempted to introduce criticism of Newsmax into a discussion about Elon Musk and Saturday Night Live.
In April 2022, Finnerty staged an April Fools’ prank during his programme by announcing that Russia had apparently surrendered to Ukraine. He asked political analyst Mark Halperin for his reaction before revealing that the announcement was a joke.
The stunt reportedly upset some Newsmax staff members.
Later that year, on December 12, Finnerty criticised American Girl, a doll manufacturer, during a broadcast after saying he could not find a doll resembling his six-year-old white daughter at the company’s Rockefeller Center store in New York.
He described the company as having become “wokeified”. Critics subsequently pointed out that white dolls were displayed in the store and featured on the company’s website.
