The Washington Post reported Sunday that NBC’s Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd will be stepping down from his hosting duties starting in September. NBC’s current chief White House correspondent, Kristen Welker will be taking over. Todd has been the moderator of Meet the Press since 2014 after David Gregory retired.
After the news of the shakeup was announced, Welker took to Twitter to praise Todd: “Chuck Todd has been a mentor and friend since my first day at NBC News. 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.”
.@chucktodd has been a mentor and friend since my first day at @NBCNews. 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 @MeetThePress
— Kristen Welker (@kwelkernbc) June 4, 2023
At the end of Sunday’s Meet the Press, Todd informed viewers of the news:
Today we close our show with an announcement from @chucktodd:
“While today is not my final show, this will be my final summer here at Meet the Press. … I am really proud of what this team and I have built over the last decade.” pic.twitter.com/sgeUcNR3C5
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) June 4, 2023
Todd informed viewers his reason for leaving was not to overstay his welcome and that he wanted to spend more time with his family. “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.”
As is common with him, he preached that he is somehow the standard for journalism, which is sure to get laughs from all fair-minded Americans who hear it: “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 program never will.”
Frequent readers of NewsBusters know well that Todd was hardly a neutral, nonpartisan moderator. He frequently parroted Democratic Party talking points and made excuses for scandals or controversies. Most recently, he made the absurd claim that scientific research suggests there are more than two genders.
He won’t be missed.
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