Chuck Todd Exiting ‘Meet the Press,’ Kristen Welker Named New Host

NBC’s Meet the Press host Chuck Todd will be stepping down later this year. He will be replaced by Kristen Welker, the current co-host of Weekend Today.

Todd announced the news of his departure during Sunday’s broadcast.

“While today is not my final show, this will be my final summer here at Meet the Press,” he said. “I am really proud of what this team and I have built over the last decade.”

The moderator began hosting the show nine years ago and has transformed the program from a single Sunday show to a “distinct and important political franchise” across television, print newsletters, podcasts and film festivals.

Todd added that the key to survival of any media franchise is for leaders not to “overstay their welcome,” so he’s opting to leave sooner, rather than later. Though he is expected to stay on as a chief political analyst.

“I’m still going to help NBC navigate and coach NBC colleagues in this 2024 campaign season and beyond,” Todd noted.

Todd also explained his departure as an effort  to avoid burnout. “I’ve let work consume me for nearly 30 years,” he said. “And as I’ve watched too many friends and family let work consume them before it’s too late, I promised my friends and family I wouldn’t do that.”

His successor, Welker, joined NBC News in 2010. She’s covered the last three presidential elections and moderated the final 2020 debate between former president Donald Trump and current president Joe Biden. She was named co-host of Weekend Today in 2020.

Todd called Welker “the right person” to take over the job and said this is how he “hoped this would end for me, passing the baton to her.”