Chuck Todd, the host of NBC�s �Meet the Press� for the last nine years,
announced on the show Sunday that he would step down from that role in the
coming months.

Todd said it�s important for people not to �overstay their welcome� and
touted his accomplishments of building the show into a �distinct and
important political franchise.�

�It�s been an amazing nearly decade-long run. I am really proud of what this
team and I have built over the last decade,� Todd said. �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. Well, I think
we�ve answered that question and then some.�

Todd said that one of the reasons he is leaving the show is so that his work
doesn�t �consume� him �before it�s too late,� adding that he�s seen it happen
to those around him. In his remarks, he announced his successor as Kristen
Welker, NBC�s chief White House correspondent, who Todd said was a good
choice and is �ready� to take over.

Conservatives have often been critical of Todd�s objectivity, especially
during the Trump administration. For example, after �Meet the Press�
broadcast an inaccurately edited clip of a Trump official in 2020, President
Donald Trump demanded Todd�s termination after the network apologized.

Today we close our show with an announcement from @chucktodd:

"While today is not my final show, this will be my final summer here
at Meet the Press. � I am really proud of what this team and I have
built over the last decade." pic.twitter.com/sgeUcNR3C5

� Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) June 4, 2023

Though stepping down as host and moderator of �Meet the Press,� Todd will
remain at NBC as chief political analyst and focus on long-form journalism,
according to the network. He said he would officially hand the show over to
Welker in September.

�Through his penetrating interviews with many of the most important
newsmakers, the show has played an essential role in politics and policy,
routinely made front-page news, and framed the thinking in Washington and
beyond,� NBC News� president of editorial Rebecca Blumenstein and senior vice
president of politics Carrie Budoff said in a memo.

Todd became the show�s host in 2014 after serving as NBC�s chief White House
correspondent and host of �The Daily Rundown.� He took over the host position
from David Gregory. �Meet the Press� is the longest-running show on
television, NBC notes.

�I leave feeling concerned about this moment in history,� Todd said, �but
reassured by the standards we�ve set here. We didn�t tolerate propagandists,
and this network and program never will. � 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.�

�[Chuck Todd] has been a mentor and friend since my first day at [NBC News],�
Welker tweeted Sunday. �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].�

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Let's go Brandon!