Chuck Todd said Sunday he was stepping down from NBC’s “Meet the Press” after nine years in the moderator’s chair and would be succeeded by the network’s chief White House correspondent, Kristen Welker.
Speaking at the conclusion of the show on Sunday, Mr Todd, 50, said he was aware that many leaders “overstay their welcome” and that he would rather leave “a little too soon than stay a little a little too long.”
“I’ve let work consume me for almost 30 years,” said Mr. Todd, according to a copy of his prepared remarks. “I can’t remember the last time I didn’t wake up before 5 or 6 in the morning, and since I’ve seen too many friends and family let work consume them before it was too late, I promised my family that I wouldn’t. do that.”
Mr. Todd, a longtime political reporter in Washington, began hosting “Meet the Press” in 2014. He has recently interviewed newsmakers such as former Vice President Mike Pence, Vice President Kamala Harris, the aspiring Republican Speaker Vivek Ramaswamy and Representative Hakeem Jeffries. of New York, House Minority Leader.
Rebecca Blumenstein, NBC News’ president of publishing, and Carrie Budoff Brown, the network’s senior vice president of policy, thanked Mr. Todd in a note and said that Mr. Todd would continue at NBC as chief political analyst.
“Through its penetrating interviews with many of the top newsmakers, the program has played an essential role in politics and policy, making routine front-page news and framing thinking in Washington and beyond.” said the note.
Ms. Welker, 46, is a longtime NBC stalwart. She was an intern at “Today” in 1997 and has been with the network full-time since 2010. She began covering the White House for NBC a year later and has covered presidents abroad in Belgium, England, Austria, Poland and Japan In 2020, she was widely praised for her moderation of the final presidential debate between President Donald J. Trump and Joe Biden.
Mr. Todd took over “Meet the Press” for David Gregory, who became its moderator after Tim Russert’s death in 2008. The show’s ratings have dropped significantly in the years since death of Mr. Russian
In 2014, Todd launched “MTP Daily,” the first daily installment of “Meet the Press,” which aired on MSNBC until last year. MTP Daily moved to NBC News Now, the network’s advertising streaming platform.
The last issue of Mr. Todd as moderator of “Meet the Press” will be in September.
