Michelle Del Rey

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY based in Washington, D.C.

She covers political talkers and D.C. happenings, especially when it comes to President Donald Trump's impact on the area.

She also reports interesting stories from around the country and world, with a focus on animal welfare.

Before joining USA TODAY, Michelle was a U.S. reporter at The Independent, where she investigated allegations that a secretive religious organization harmed pregnant women and reported on the effects of President Donald Trump's election on transgender youth.

The daughter of a Dominican immigrant, she’s passionate about reporting on marginalized communities and is fluent in Spanish.

She began her newspaper journalism career as a Hearst fellow, a competitive two-year program that included reporting on state politics in Albany, New York, and covering crime and breaking news in San Antonio, Texas.

Del Rey also loves to travel and you'll often find her in the United Kingdom or Mexico.

She holds a journalism degree from the University of Westminster in London. She can be reached at [email protected].