Meet the Press had a woman as its host when the NBC News program first took to the air in 1947. The Sunday morning staple is about to have its second female moderator in its 75-year history, the Washington Post reports. Chuck Todd told viewers Sunday that he's leaving the show later this year, to be replaced by Kristen Welker, whom he called "the right person in the right moment" for the high-profile job. NBC's chief White House correspondent, Welker has served as guest host of the program in the past. And she's co-host of the streaming Meet the Press NOW.
Welker, 46, has worked for NBC since 2010. She received increased attention and positive reviews for her performance moderating the final 2020 debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. In following in the steps of Martha Rountree, who held the job until 1953, Welker also will become the first Black woman to host one of the Sunday morning network news programs, per the Los Angeles Times. In a tweet, Welker said she's learned from working with Todd and "experiencing his passion for politics," adding, "I'm humbled and grateful to take the baton and continue to build on the legacy of @MeetThePress."
Todd, 51, will become the network's chief political analyst, work on documentaries and other non-breaking news projects, and generally slow down. "I've watched too many friends and family let work consume them before it was too late," he told viewers. "I promised my family I wouldn't do that." Todd expressed pride in his stewardship of the storied program. When he took over, Todd said, people wondered whether Meet the Press could still be relevant. "Well, I think we’ve answered that question and then some," he said. (More Meet the Press stories.)
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