Lolita Baldor spoke to NPF Paul Miller Washington reporting fellows October 3, 2022. 

Lolita Baldor is the military/national security reporter for The Associated Press. She has covered military, counterterrorism and national security issues for The Associated Press since 2005, including travel with top defense, military and national leaders all over the world.

She was assigned to cover the Pentagon for The AP from 2005 to 2009.  During that time, she traveled abroad extensively with the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, including trips to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East and Asia, as well as with military service leaders and the vice president of the United States. During 2009-2010, she covered counterterrorism and cybersecurity, leading the AP’s development of a new terrorism team. She focused on terrorist groups, threats, funding and investigations into a number of planned and executed attacks against the United States.

In January 2011, she returned to the Pentagon beat to focus on national security, counterterrorism and Defense Department issues. She has continued to travel with military and defense leaders and has covered an array of national security issues. They range from international defense policies involving wars in the Middle East and conflicts around the world to military operations, training and planning. She also has focused on force issues such as recruiting, suicides, sexual assaults and the expanding role of women in combat.

She joined the Associated Press in Washington in April 2003 and covered Congress, politics, defense spending, and other issues for Southern New England AP bureaus. Prior to joining AP, Baldor was the Washington Correspondent for the New Haven Register and the Connecticut Post, covering a wide range of political, Congressional and defense issues.

Baldor was born and raised in Laconia, New Hampshire, and is a graduate of Michigan State University.