Taylor Reid is a cable news talk show host known for his abrasive style and his right-wing tendencies. He sparred with White House Press Secretary C.J. Cregg on and off the air. He challenged her to appear on his show, and when she ignored him he publicly mocked her as "chicken". When she finally did appear, his rapid-fire questioning left her with little opportunity to respond. In "Liftoff", Annabeth Schott claims that Reid is "this administration's most vocal and effective critic" and that he was "a barman with half a novel" before she transformed his look and career trajectory.