The personal love story of Dana Perino, who is well-known for her work as a political commentator and former White House Press Secretary, seems like it belongs in a romantic comedy.
She didn’t know she was going to meet Peter McMahon, the man who would become her husband, when she took a plane to Chicago in 1997. It was a totally unexpected encounter that nearly didn’t occur.
Unfortunately, McMahon and Perino were the last two passengers to board that day because they were both running late. The plane’s remaining seats were positioned directly next to one another.
That chance encounter resulted in a memorable encounter. McMahon left an impression right away. He asked to put his bag in the overhead compartment above them, Perino recalled in an interview with the American Enterprise Institute.
His British accent caught her attention as soon as she turned to face him. Looking at him, she remembered thinking, “accent,” with a hint of humor. Her attention was initially drawn to his accent, but she quickly discovered that he was attractive and that he was not wearing a wedding ring.
She continued to become more interested in McMahon during the flight. However, they had to part ways after the plane touched down.
They had no way of knowing what the future would bring, and McMahon was from the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, before they left, Perino gave him her contact details. He didn’t say anything for days. Then, ten days later, as she was starting to get over the thought, McMahon emailed her.
Ten months after their chance encounter on a plane, Perino made a decision that would change her life: she moved to England to be with him.
Dana Perino and Peter McMahon were married in 1998, and their marriage is still going strong over 25 years later. Dana concealed a secret from her partner. Perino acknowledged that she had serious concerns early on and that she initially struggled with their 18-year age difference.
“I’m only twenty-five. He is forty-three. She remembered thinking, “What are we going to do? This can’t be possible.” She revealed that she had many reasons to talk herself out of the relationship in an interview with the American Enterprise Institute.
McMahon’s residence in England presented another difficulty, particularly since Perino was about to undergo a significant change in his professional path. She considered their relationship in an opinion piece on Fox News, stating that it was the “best decision [she] ever made.”
Perino has frequently reflected on how improbable everything appeared—the chance meeting, the circumstances, the timing. “It still seems unlikely,” she wrote. “What if I was given a different seat or missed the plane?” Nevertheless, they met in spite of everything, and they have since built a life together without ever turning back.
