Chuck Todd, Former ‘Meet the Press’ Host, Leaving NBC

Chuck Todd attends a Universal Pictures Oppenheimer Trinity Anniversary Special Screening at the Whitby Hotel in New York City on July 15, 2023. Roy Rochlin/Getty Images For Universal Pictures

Chuck Todd, a fixture of NBC’s political coverage for nearly two decades, is leaving the network.

“Today is my last day at NBC,” Todd said Friday on his podcast “Chuck Toddcast,” adding that his departure happened “a little earlier than originally planned.”

Todd, who joined the network in 2007, indicated that he plans to launch “a few new projects,” possibly focusing on bridging the gap between national and local news.

“I think the media has a lot of work to do to win back the trust [of the public], and I think, frankly, national media isn’t the place that’s going to be able to do it,” said the longtime political reporter.

“This is no indictment of national media as the problem. I’m a believer that national media is never really that trusted by people. The farther away something is, the more skeptical we are of it. People trust local media more than they trust national media.”

Todd attributed this higher trust in local news to its direct relevance to people’s daily lives and the fact that people can verify the accuracy of reports firsthand.

“[Local media] get fact-checked every day. Local media tells them where there is traffic and tells them about the weather ... at the end of the day, you feel like you can fact-check local media immediately. It feels a little more relevant. It feels like you know who these folks are,” Todd said.

Todd also spoke about the challenges media outlets face, particularly the blurred lines between journalism and activism, which he said have become too common today.

“We can’t stick our heads in the sand, and we can’t be propagandists,” he said. “We’ve got to continue covering politics as it is, not as we wish it were.

“Being a real political journalist ... is about simply reporting what’s happening, explaining why it’s happening, letting the public absorb the fact without judging them if they come to a different conclusion. If you do the job just seeking popularity or simply to be an activist—which too many in national media are doing these days, you’re not doing this job correctly.”

During his 18 years at NBC, Todd served in various roles, including chief political analyst and host of the network’s flagship Sunday program, “Meet the Press.” He moderated the show from 2014 until 2023, when Kristen Welker replaced him.

“I got to work at the former home of David Brinkley, Tom Brokaw, and Tim Russert. To be honest, I still can’t believe I got to follow in those amazing footsteps. That alone is the honor of a lifetime,” Todd said during the podcast.

Todd’s departure comes less than two weeks into President Donald Trump’s second term in the White House. During his first term, the president mocked the newscaster, calling him ‘Sleepy-Eyed Chuck Todd’ on Twitter after Todd said on MSNBC that Trump was at risk of a “lame duck” presidency due to the probe into now-debunked allegations of collusion between his 2016 campaign and Russia.

While he will be leaving NBC, Todd confirmed that after a brief hiatus, he will continue his podcast in his next venture.

“I do plan to continue to share my reporting and my perspective and to cover politics the way I’ve been covering it,” Todd said.

Todd is the second major news personality to depart this week. Jim Acosta, also known for his clashes with Trump, resigned from CNN on Tuesday after the network tried to move him from a 10 a.m. time slot to midnight, a shift that would have dramatically reduced his viewership.