Chuck Todd Exiting 'Meet the Press'

By Ashley Turner

Chuck Todd announced on Sunday that he would be leaving Meet the Press after moderating the NBC political panel show for nearly a decade. Kristen Welker will replace Todd in the coming months. During the show, Todd, 51, said, "I've watched too many friends and family let work consume them before it was too late" and that he'd promised his family he wouldn't do that. Despite the rumors that Todd's time with the show would be cut short when its executive producer was reassigned at the end of last summer, NBC did not indicate this was not his decision. The exact date of Todd's final episode is unclear, however, he told viewers this summer would be his last, reported the Associated Press. "I leave feeling concerned about this moment in history but reassured by the standards we've set here," Todd said. "We didn't tolerate propagandists, and this network and program never will." A former chief White House correspondent, Welker, 46, has worked at NBC News in Washington since 2011 and served as Todd's fill-in for the last three years. In 2020, she moderated the final presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Her "sharp questioning of lawmakers is a masterclass in political interviews," said Rebecca Blumenstein, NBC News president of editorial, in a memo announcing Welker's elevation on Sunday.

According to the AP, in a memo announcing Welker's promotion, NBC News president of editorial Rebecca Blumenstein praised Welker, saying her "sharp questioning of lawmakers is a masterclass in political interviews." The Sunday morning political interview show has aired since 1947, hosted by Martha Rountree, its creator and first host. The show was at its height under Tim Russert's stewardship from 1991 until he died in 2008. In the wake of Russert's death, Tom Brokaw temporarily filled in for him, and David Gregory took his place until Todd replaced him. Welker will serve as the first black moderator and the first woman since Rountree left Meet the Press in 1953. As part of Meet the Press's expansion, Todd said he was very proud of evolving the brand into a daily show that originally aired on MSNBC but has since spanned streaming, podcasts, newsletters, and even a film festival.

Critics have still taken to social media to voice their disapproval of Todd's interviews. He referred to his naysayers on Sunday when announcing his departure. "If you do this job seeking popularity, you are doing this job incorrectly," he said. "I take the attacks from partisans as compliments. And I take the genuine compliments with a grain of salt when they come from partisans."He said that the purpose of every show is to make you mad, make you think, shake your head in disapproval at some point, and nod your head in approval at others." Meet the Press was third in viewers this season behind CBS' Face the Nation and ABC's This Week, which averaged between 2.5 million and 2.9 million viewers, respectively, according to Nielsen ratings.

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