Kristen Welker, the co-anchor of Weekend TODAY and NBC News White House correspondent will succeed Chuck Todd as the host of “Meet the Press,” NBC News announced on Thursday.
Welker, 44, will become the first woman to exclusively anchor “Meet the Press” since 1975 when Barbara Walters stepped down. She will also be the first Black woman to host the show.
“Kristen Welker is an exceptional journalist who has earned the respect of her colleagues and viewers across the country,” said Noah Oppenheim, chairman of NBC News. “She is a tough but fair interviewer who will continue to hold our leaders accountable. We are thrilled to have her at the helm of ‘Meet the Press.’”
Welker has been with NBC News since 2001. She has covered every major presidential election since 2004, and she was the moderator of the vice presidential debate in 2020.
“I am honored to be the next host of ‘Meet the Press,’” Welker said. “It is a storied institution that has been a part of the fabric of American democracy for nearly 80 years. I am humbled to step into this role and look forward to continuing the tradition of delivering the news and holding our leaders accountable.”
Todd, who has hosted “Meet the Press” since 2014, will remain at NBC News as a political analyst. He will also continue to host “Meet the Press Daily,” a weekday news show that airs on MSNBC.
“I am proud of the work we have done on ‘Meet the Press’ over the past nine years,” Todd said. “I am confident that Kristen will continue to build on that legacy and make ‘Meet the Press’ even stronger.”
“When I took over ‘Meet the Press,’ it was a Sunday show that had a lot of people questioning whether it still could have a place in the modern media space,” Todd added. “Well, I think we’ve answered that question and then some.”
Welker’s appointment as host of “Meet the Press” is a significant moment for NBC News and for the media landscape as a whole. She is a talented journalist with a proven track record of holding leaders accountable.
“Meet the Press” is the longest-running show on American television, celebrating its 75th-anniversary last year.
.@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
