Big shakeup in the Sunday morning news lineup. Kristen Welker will replace Chuck Todd as moderator of “Meet the Press,” NBC’s legendary Sunday morning news show.
Todd has been moderator of “MTP” since September 2014. The switch to Welker will happen in September.
In his closing remarks on Sunday show, Todd said, “… the key to the survival of any of these media entities, including here at Meet the Press, is for leaders to not overstay their welcome. I’d rather leave a little bit too soon than stay a tad too long. I’ve had two amazing professional chapters and I already have plans for my next chapter, including some projects here at NBC that I’ve been very focused on: among them, docuseries and docudramas focused on trying to bridge our divides and pierce political bubbles. So while I may be leaving this chair, I’m still going to help NBC navigate and coach colleagues in this 2024 campaign season and beyond.
“But this is also an important time for me personally. I’ve let work consume me for nearly 30 years. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t wake up before 5 or 6 a.m., and as I’ve watched too many friends and family let work consume them before it was too late, I promised my family I wouldn’t do that.”
There have been rumors for a while now that Todd might be out — by choice or otherwise — as “MTP” moderator. The Daily Beast’s Lachlan Cartwright wrote last August that Welker would replace Todd at some point.
After that story was published, I reported a behind-the-scenes story on “Meet the Press” last November. At that time, Todd didn’t give any indication he was ready to leave, but also said he wasn’t going to stay on the show indefinitely. He said he couldn’t see himself doing the show as long as Tim Russert did it, which was 17 years.
“There should be a sell-by date on all journalists in Washington,” Todd told me at the time. “I’m a believer that you shouldn’t have one person in a beat forever. But I’m not done growing this show. I’m certainly not going anywhere anytime soon. But I know how long Tim did it and I wouldn’t do it that long. So there ya go. There’s a number.”
Just as Sunday morning’s “Meet the Press” was going on the air, NBC News president of editorial Rebecca Blumenstein and NBC News senior vice president of politics Carrie Budoff Brown sent out a memo saying Todd was going to “transition to a new role at NBC News in the coming months.” Todd’s title is changing from “political director” to “chief political analyst.”
They added, “During one of the longest runs as moderator in the show’s storied history, he transformed the brand into a vital modern-day franchise, expanding its footprint to an array of new mediums, and kept Meet the Press at the forefront of political discourse. He has led the flagship program through its 70th and 75th anniversaries and two presidential election cycles. Chuck has established himself as a trusted authority on all things politics — from consequential presidential and national elections to local and congressional races across the country. In his new position as Chief Political Analyst, he will maintain his role as a leading voice at NBC News for politics, both in the field and for important events. He plans to focus on long-form journalism and continue producing the ‘Chuck Toddcast’ and ‘Meet the Press Reports.’”
Regarding Welker, Blumenstein and Budoff Brown wrote about Welker’s extensive resume, including being chief White House correspondent for NBC News, moderating a presidential debate and often filling in for Todd on “Meet the Press.” They called her the “ideal journalist to build on the ‘Meet the Press’ legacy.”
They added, “She has masterfully moderated primary and general election presidential debates and her sharp questioning of lawmakers is a masterclass in political interviews. She is a dogged reporter who relishes getting big scoops and is widely admired throughout the bureau and the network for her deeply collaborative nature.”
Todd was a polarizing moderator, liked by some and criticized by just as many. His name often trends on Sunday mornings on Twitter, usually from viewers complaining he was either too soft or too hard on his interview subjects. But he defends his time as moderator.
During his closing remarks on Sunday’s show, Todd said, “I leave feeling concerned about this moment in history but reassured by the standards we’ve set here. We didn’t tolerate propagandists and this network and the program never will. But it doesn’t mean sticking your head in the sand either; if you ignore reality, you’ll miss the biggest story. Being a real political journalist isn’t about building a brand, it’s about reporting what’s happening and explaining why it’s happening and letting the public absorb the facts. If you do this job seeking popularity, you are doing this job incorrectly. I take the attacks from partisans as compliments. And I take the genuine compliments with a grain of salt when they come from partisans. The goal of this and every ‘Meet the Press’ episode is to do all of the following in one informative hour: make you mad, make you think, shake your head in disapproval at some point and nod your head in approval at others. If you do all of that in one hour of this show, we’ve done our job.”
This story is breaking and will be updated.