Chuck Todd announced on June 4 he will leave NBC’s “Meet the Press” in September, concluding a nine-year tenure.
Todd first joined the political interview show as its twelfth host in 2014. He alluded to a desire to spend more time with his family and focus less on his career.
“I’ve let work consume me for nearly thirty years,” Todd said during his opening monologue. He described his job on the show as “explain America to Washington and Washington to America.”
“The key to survival of any of these incredible media entities, including here at ‘Meet the Press,’ is for leaders not to overstay their welcome,” Todd said. “I’d rather leave a little bit too soon than stay a tad bit too long.”
Todd, who will continue to work with NBC News, said future endeavors will include a “docuseries and a docudrama focused on trying to educate the public better.”
Todd announced that Kristen Welker will take over as his replacement at the end of the summer. He described her as “the right person in the right moment.”
Welker is currently NBC’s co-chief White House correspondent. She joined NBC in 2010 and began co-hosting “Weekend TODAY” in 2020. During the same year, Welker moderated the last presidential debate between then-President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden.
“[Chuck Todd] has been a mentor and friend since my first day at [NBC News],” tweeted Welker. “I’ve learned so much from sitting with him at the anchor desk and simply experiencing his passion for politics. I’m humbled and grateful to take the baton and continue to build on the legacy of [Meet the Press].”
“This is always how I hoped it would end for me – that I’d be passing the baton to her,” said Todd.
“I’ll be honest, though. I leave feeling concerned about this moment in history but reassured by the standards we’ve set here,” the host continued. “We didn’t tolerate propagandists and this network and program never will. But it doesn’t mean sticking your head in the sand either.”
“If you ignore reality, you’ll miss the big story,” said Todd. “Being a political reporter isn’t about building a brand, it is about reporting what is happening and explaining why it is happening and letting the public absorb the facts.”
“If you do this job seeking popularity, you are doing this job incorrectly,” he added.
Todd has been credited with the expansion of “Meet the Press.” During his time as host, the show has developed “Meet the Press Reports” and “Meet the Press NOW” for the NBC News Now app, per Axios. He has served as the network’s political director since 2007.
Todd has faced backlash for his interviewing style.
Trump “anointed Todd with one of his signature nicknames, Sleepy Eyes, and later called on NBC to fire Todd in 2020 over its airing of a CBS interview clip with his then-Attorney General William Barr,” reports AP News. “Todd later said the show had been unaware at the time of a longer soundbite of the interview that would have provided more context, and he apologized for the mistake.”
“Meet the Press” first aired in 1947, reaching peak popularity between 1991 to 2008 while hosted by Tim Russert.
