Chuck Todd Leaving 'Meet The Press,' Kristen Welker To Replace Him

Chuck Todd is leaving NBC's Meet the Press.

Sunday, Todd informed viewers this would be his final summer as moderator of the program. NBC Kristen Welker will assume the host role in September.

"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," said Todd.

"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,"

Welker, who currently hosts Weekend Today on NBC News, is best known for moderating the final debate between President Biden and Donald Trump in 2020.

"@chucktodd has been a mentor and friend since my first day at @NBCNews," Welker tweeted Sunday.

"I’ve learned so much from sitting with him at the anchor desk and simply experiencing his passion for politics," she adds. "I'm humbled and grateful to take the baton and continue to build on the legacy of @MeetThePress."

Welker will compete with Shannon Bream (Fox News), Jake Tapper and Dana Bash (CNN), George Stephanopoulos (ABC), and Margaret Brennan (CBS) for Sunday morning news superiority.

As for Todd, he says he will remain at NBC as chief political analyst and focus on long-form journalism. At least for now.

Todd's long-term future at the network has been uncertain for some time. NBC relegated his daily show, now titled "MTP Now," twice in the past two years.

The network first moved the program from 5 pm on MSNBC to 1 pm, then off cable to NBC News NOW, a free-to-consumer streaming service.

In addition, leaks inside NBC say the network has looked to replace Todd on Meet the Press multiple times since the pandemic.

In 2020, NBCUniversal chief executive Jeff Shell reportedly floated the idea of replacing Todd with Nicolle Wallace. Last summer, a report surfaced that the network hired a new MTP EP to consider hosting changes.

The writing was on the wall. NBC wanted to go in a different direction for its flagship Sunday news program.

And though the show is not what it was, in terms of rating or relevance, it still holds a prestigious place in the industry. Meet the Press is the longest-running show on American television, airing since 1947.

Past Meet the Press moderators include Tim Russert, Tom Brokaw, Chris Wallace, Martha Rountree, and Marvin Kalb.

Chuck Todd hosted the program for nine years.

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Bobby Burack is a writer for OutKick where he reports and analyzes the latest topics in media, culture, sports, and politics.. Burack has become a prominent voice in media and has been featured on several shows across OutKick and industry related podcasts and radio stations.