Fox News host Laura Ingraham has voiced strong criticism of a recent CNBC ranking that identified the ten "worst states to live in America," asserting that the list is a politically biased attempt to denigrate conservative states. The ranking, which was a subset of CNBC's broader "America's Top States for Business" analysis, placed ten states, all of which voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 Presidential Election, at the bottom of its "Quality of Life" metrics.
Ingraham, during a segment on "The Ingraham Angle," highlighted that the "worst states" list included four states that also appeared in CNBC's top ten for business. She questioned the methodology, stating, "How does that make any sense?" and described the ranking as a "blatant effort to denigrate more conservative states."
The states identified as the worst to live in, ranked from tenth-worst to worst, were Arkansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Missouri, Utah, Georgia, Louisiana, Indiana, Texas, and Tennessee. The analysis reportedly factored in elements such as the "inclusivity" of state laws and citizens' "reproductive rights."
During her broadcast, Ingraham played clips of prominent Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, who contrasted "optimistic, diverse, dynamic, moving-forward" states with those Trump promised to "Make America Great Again." New York Governor Kathy Hochul's past remark telling Trump to "head down to Florida," and former Georgia Congresswoman Stacey Abrams' statement that states are now divided into "authoritarian states and democracy states," were also featured. Ingraham countered these points, suggesting that the "authoritarians" were on the side of those who wish to control citizens' choices, such as the type of car driven or thermostat settings.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis echoed Ingraham's sentiments, calling the CNBC ranking "nonsense." Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt questioned the ranking's validity by pointing to migration trends, asking, "Why would 'the worst states to live in' also be the states that the most people are moving to?"
Texas, which ranked second-worst on the list, was noted for receiving poor marks in criteria related to healthcare, inclusiveness, and reproductive rights. The state, like Tennessee, has no state income tax, a factor contributing to its appeal for residents. Tennessee, ranked as the worst state to live in, faced criticism due to laws perceived as discriminatory toward transgender people, high rates of violent crime, and fatal drug use. CNBC specifically cited a law requiring transgender individuals to use bathroom facilities designated for their sex at birth and the designation of June as "Nuclear Family Month" as negative factors, suggesting the state "deliberately" slighted Pride celebrators. Despite these criticisms, Tennessee is noted as having one of the top-ranked move-in markets in the country.
Ingraham concluded that such rankings aim to undermine the importance of objective facts and promote a particular political narrative.