During the last segment of NBC's Meet the Press, moderator Chuck Todd announced he will be stepping down from his hosting duties starting in September and that 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
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.
NBC's Meet the Press was made possible by Fisher Investments. Their information is linked.
To read the transcript click "expand":
NBC’s Meet the Press
6/4/2023
10:55:24 a.m. EasternCHUCK TODD: Welcome back. I have a personal announcement. While today is not my final show, this is going to be my final summer here at Meet the Press. It's been an amazing nearly decade-long run. I'm really proud of what this team and I have built over the last decade and frankly, the last 15-plus years that I've been here at NBC, which also includes my time as political director. I've loved so much of this job, helping to explain America to Washington and explain Washington to America. When I took over Meet the Press, it was a Sunday show that had a lot of people questioning whether it could still have a place in the modern media space.
Well, I think we've answered that question and then some. We’ve taken Meet the Press from a single Sunday show to a distinct and important political franchise. From our daily show, Meet the Press Now, our magazine show, Meet the Press Reports, to our newsletters and podcasts, we've successfully expanded what makes Meet the Press special. On Sundays to make it special no matter the topic or where it airs or when it airs. That includes our annual Meet the Press film festival as well, which has somehow become one of the most important festivals for Oscar buzz and nominations for news-driven documentaries.
But 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. I'd rather leave a little bit too soon than stay a tad bit too long. I've had two amazing professional chapters, and I already have plans for my next chapter, including some projects right here at NBC News that I've been very focused on, among them docuseries and some docudramas focused on trying to educate the public better, bridge our divides, and pierce our political bubbles. So, while I may be leaving this chair, I'm still going to help NBC navigate and coach colleagues in this 2024 campaign season and beyond. But this is also an important time for me personally. I've let work consume me for nearly 30 years. I can't remember the last time I didn't wake up before 5:00 or 6:00 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. And just as important, and this is what really makes me happy, I'm also ready to take a step back because I have so much confidence in the person whom I'm going to pass the baton to. She's somebody who's been ready for this for a long time, Kristen Welker.
[...]
TODD: I'll be honest, though, 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. But it doesn't mean sticking your head in the sand either. If you ignore reality, you'll miss the big story. Being a real political journalist isn't about building a brand. It's about reporting what's happening and explaining why it's happening and letting the public absorb the facts. If you do this job seeking popularity, you are doing this job incorrectly. I take the attacks from partisans as compliments, and I take the compliments from partisans with a grain of salt. The goal of this and every Meet the Press episode is to do all of the following in one informative hour–make you mad, make you think, shake your head in disapproval, and nod your head in approval. If you do all of that in one hour of this show, we've done our jobs.
