Harold Watson “Trey” Gowdy III (born August 22, 1964) is an American lawyer, former federal prosecutor, former Republican congressman, and television news host.
He represented South Carolina’s 4th congressional district from 2011 to 2019. Today he hosts Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy on Fox News Channel.
Who is Trey Gowdy?
Trey Gowdy is a former U.S. Representative, former federal prosecutor, and current Fox News television host. He built a legal career spanning nearly two decades before entering national politics in 2011.
His name became nationally recognized through his work chairing the House Select Committee on Benghazi from 2014 to 2016. That committee investigated the September 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Libya.
After four terms in Congress, he left politics and returned to law practice and media. His Fox News program draws millions of viewers each Sunday.
He is also a #1 New York Times bestselling author, with books that draw on his legal and congressional experience.
Early Life of Trey Gowdy
Trey Gowdy was born in Greenville, South Carolina, on August 22, 1964, to Novalene Gowdy and Harold Watson Gowdy Jr. He grew up in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He was the only boy among his parents’ four children.
As a teenager in Spartanburg, Gowdy worked at a local community market and delivered newspapers for the Herald-Journal. Those early jobs gave him a grounded work ethic that carried through his career.
His family raised him with strong Christian values, which have shaped both his personal and professional life.
Trey Gowdy Age
Trey Gowdy is 61 years old as of June 17, 2026, born on August 22, 1964. His zodiac sign is Leo.
He currently hosts Sunday Night in America each week on Fox News, continuing an active media career into his seventh decade.
Trey Gowdy Ethnicity and Nationality
Trey Gowdy is an American national, born and raised in South Carolina. He is of white American ethnicity, as confirmed across multiple biographical sources.
His family background in Spartanburg, South Carolina has deep roots in the American South, and his Christian upbringing remains a publicly acknowledged part of his identity.
Trey Gowdy Education
Gowdy graduated from Spartanburg High School in 1982. He then enrolled at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1986.
After graduating from Baylor, he returned to South Carolina for law school. He completed his Juris Doctor degree at the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1989. That same year, he married his wife Terri.
His legal training at USC School of Law set the foundation for a career that would later take him to the halls of Congress.
Trey Gowdy Career
Trey Gowdy’s career spans three distinct and high-profile chapters: federal prosecutor, United States Congressman, and television news host.
Each phase built on the skills of the previous one, making him one of the more recognizable legal and political voices in American public life. He left Congress in 2019 with an undefeated record in political races.
Early Career: Federal Prosecutor
After law school in 1989, Gowdy began his legal career as a law clerk for state and federal judges. He then joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, serving as a federal prosecutor from 1994 to 2000.
During those six years, Gowdy prosecuted a wide range of federal crimes. He received the highest performance ratings available to a federal prosecutor for two consecutive years.
He prosecuted seven death penalty cases during his time as a state and federal prosecutor. His work earned him recognition from law enforcement and victims’ rights organizations across South Carolina.
Major Positions Held
In 2000, Gowdy ran for Solicitor of South Carolina’s 7th Judicial Circuit, which covered Spartanburg and Cherokee counties. He won that race and served as Solicitor from 2000 to 2010.
He chaired the South Carolina Commission on Prosecution Coordination during this period. In 2010, Gowdy ran for the U.S. House of Representatives, defeating incumbent Bob Inglis in the Republican primary.
Gowdy won the general election and took office on January 3, 2011, representing South Carolina’s 4th congressional district.
He served on several key House committees, including the Judiciary Committee, the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
In May 2014, House Speaker John Boehner appointed Gowdy to chair the newly formed House Select Committee on Benghazi.
That committee investigated the 2012 attack in Libya for over two years and cost $7.8 million. Gowdy chaired the panel through its final report in July 2016.
In June 2017, he became Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He held that role until January 2019.
Current Role: Fox News and Media
On January 31, 2018, Gowdy announced he would not seek re-election. He stated publicly that his legal skills were better suited to a courtroom than to Congress.
After leaving office in January 2019, he joined the law firm Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, the largest law firm in South Carolina. That same month, he became a contributor for Fox News Channel.
In early 2021, Gowdy served as a rotating host of Fox News Primetime. Then on June 6, 2021, Fox News launched Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy, a weekly hour-long program airing Sundays at 9 PM ET.
The show airs live from his home in South Carolina. Gowdy also hosts The Trey Gowdy Podcast on Fox News Audio, released weekly.
Trey Gowdy Political Career and Notable Coverage
Gowdy served four consecutive terms as a Republican congressman from South Carolina’s 4th district, from 2011 to 2019. His district included Greenville and Spartanburg, the two largest cities in Upstate South Carolina.
He was a member of the Republican Party and aligned closely with the Tea Party movement during his early congressional tenure.
His chairmanship of the House Select Committee on Benghazi brought him extensive national media coverage. The committee held high-profile hearings, including a lengthy October 2015 session with then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Gowdy later chaired the House Oversight Committee from June 2017 through the end of his final term. Gowdy contributed to Fox News’ coverage of the 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 presidential election as well.
Trey Gowdy Books and Publications
Gowdy is a #1 New York Times bestselling author with multiple books to his credit. He co-authored Unified: How Our Unlikely Friendship Gives Us Hope for a Divided Country (2018) alongside Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina.
The book reached the New York Times bestseller list and explored their cross-racial friendship and shared values.
In 2020, Gowdy published Doesn’t Hurt to Ask: Using the Power of Questions to Communicate, Connect, and Persuade. That book hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and drew on his courtroom and congressional experience.
He later published Start, Stay, or Leave: The Art of Decision Making and the thriller novel The Color of Death, released in August 2025.
Trey Gowdy Wife
Trey Gowdy married Terri Dillard Gowdy in 1989, the same year he graduated from law school. The two met at a church youth camp in Spartanburg.
Terri Gowdy is a former elementary school teacher who worked in the Spartanburg School District. She was also crowned Miss Spartanburg and served as second runner-up in the Miss South Carolina pageant.
The couple has lived in Spartanburg throughout their marriage, residing in the same home Gowdy owned before he first ran for office. As of recent reports, they remain together in Spartanburg.
Their marriage has endured both the pressures of Gowdy’s prosecution career, during which the family received death threats, and his years in national politics.
Trey Gowdy Children
Trey and Terri Gowdy have two children: a son named Watson Gowdy and a daughter named Abigail Gowdy.
Watson attended Clemson University and went on to study at Washington School of Law. He later worked as a real estate agent in Spartanburg.
Abigail studied Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of South Carolina and planned to attend law school. The family also keeps three dogs named Judge, Jury, and Bailiff.
Trey Gowdy Net Worth
Trey Gowdy’s estimated net worth is $2 million as of 2026, available reports, built through his career as a federal prosecutor, four-term congressman, Fox News host, and bestselling author.
His primary income sources have included his congressional salary, Fox News media contracts, speaking engagements, and book royalties.
His book Doesn’t Hurt to Ask reached the #1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list in 2020, adding meaningfully to his earnings profile. Fox News contributors and hosts at his level earn estimated six-figure annual salaries.
Trey Gowdy Social Media
Trey Gowdy is active on Instagram at @tgowdysc, where he describes himself as a husband, father, former prosecutor, and South Carolinian.
On X (formerly Twitter), he posts regularly under the handle @TGowdySC, covering current legal and political developments.
His Fox News show also maintains a dedicated Instagram presence at @gowdyamerica.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Trey Gowdy’s role and position?
Trey Gowdy currently hosts Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy on Fox News Channel, airing Sundays at 9 PM ET. He joined Fox News as a contributor in January 2019.
How old is Trey Gowdy?
Trey Gowdy is 61 years old as of June 17, 2026, born on August 22, 1964, in Greenville, South Carolina.
What is Trey Gowdy’s net worth?
Trey Gowdy’s estimated net worth is $2 million, earned through his legal career, congressional service, Fox News media contracts, and book sales.
Where did Trey Gowdy study?
Gowdy earned his Bachelor of Arts in history from Baylor University in 1986, then his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1989.
Who is Trey Gowdy married to?
Trey Gowdy has been married to Terri Dillard Gowdy since 1989. The two met at a church youth camp in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
What is Trey Gowdy best known for professionally?
He is best known for chairing the House Select Committee on Benghazi from 2014 to 2016 and later the House Oversight Committee from 2017 to 2019.
The Bottom Line
Trey Gowdy served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina’s 4th congressional district, most notably chairing the House Select Committee on Benghazi from 2014 to 2016.
Born and raised in Spartanburg, he worked his way from delivering newspapers as a teenager to becoming a federal prosecutor and eventually a #1 New York Times bestselling author with titles including Doesn’t Hurt to Ask (2020).
His Fox News show Sunday Night in America, which launched on June 6, 2021, continues to air weekly, and his thriller The Color of Death was published in August 2025.
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