How Face the Nation Host Margaret Brennan Became the Star of Sunday Mornings: 'I Didn't Ever Imagine It'

CBS Margaret Brennan

Sitting cozy in an office armchair, knees tucked and heels to the side, Margaret Brennan admits that she gets a little "superstitious" sometimes. Five years ago, that manifested in her moving on from the idea of becoming Face the Nation's new moderator before CBS News had made any hiring decisions, in her mind protecting herself from disappointment when the network chose someone more traditionally qualified.

"I certainly had experience covering the White House," she explains, "but I had spent a decade covering Wall Street and the economy, and then years traveling as a foreign policy correspondent. I was different from my peers." That difference turned out to be her superpower. In February of 2018, Brennan was asked to leave her post as White House correspondent and become Face the Nation's second-ever female host, following Lesley Stahl. The tricky part: During the waiting period, Brennan had gotten pregnant with her first child.

"When I got the job and I found that out at the same time I was literally like, 'Holy moly, these two massive things are happening at once,'" she remembers. "I wasn't sure what would happen. It was a really high-pressure moment."

Brennan was keenly aware that as a new moderator, she would need to quickly build trust with viewers in order for the show to succeed; even as she was thrilled to start building her family, she knew the timing would be complicated. "I didn't want my gender to be a topic or an issue. I wanted to be judged on what I was able to do," she says. She began to wonder if people would be bothered seeing her pregnant on television, or whether taking maternity leave would thwart people from connecting with her. "I was really worried about disappointing people because I was so aware of the high expectations."

As anyone in Brennan's orbit will attest, she didn't need to worry too much. If her work ethic and test-runs as a guest moderator were any indication, the broadcast would be excellent — and it was.

Chris Usher/CBS Margaret Brennan in the Washington, D.C. studio

In the five years since Brennan's takeover, Face the Nation has flourished, currently in its third year as the most-watched Sunday morning political newscast, outperforming NBC News' Meet the Press and ABC News' This Week in total viewership. Also in that time, Brennan has navigated two pregnancies on the job; she's now mother to Eamon, 4, and Malek, 22 months, whom she shares with her husband, attorney and Marine Corps reservist Yado Yakub.

"I definitely feel different than back when I started," Brennan, now 42, says. "There's an hours logged in the cockpit thing where you get more comfortable and know where you want to take a conversation."

Comfort with the craft, though, doesn't mean Brennan's in auto-pilot. Everyone at Face the Nation, including executive producer Mary Hager, work in overdrive each week to prepare an hour of television that "educates and illuminates" Americans on the most important issues of the moment, incorporating expert voices and varied political perspectives to round out the conversation.

"I'm not going to waste people's time on Sunday," Brennan says. "I owe it to them to try to get answers, to focus on the issues of substance and importance, not just the shiny objects." It's that no-nonsense search for the truth, she thinks, that makes the show such a success — especially in recent years, as COVID-19 and political unrest left the nation with more questions than answers.

For more on Margaret Brennan's rise to the top, subscribe now to PEOPLE or pick up this week's issue, on newsstands Friday.

Jason Chan Margaret Brennan and Yado Yakub with their sons Malek (left) and Eamon (right)

While Brennan can be tough on her guests during the Sunday morning broadcast, she's plenty warm off camera. On the topic of family, she's especially gushy. "I should show you a picture," she says when her sons are brought up, pulling out her phone to flash the lock screen. "Eamon looks more like me I think and the baby looks a little more like his dad."

At home, she says, life is beautifully chaotic: toys everywhere ("mostly matchbox cars, because I'm a boy mom") and challenging bedtime routines. Describing the boys, she says Eamon is more cerebral, whereas Malek is more physical.

RELATED: Face the Nation's Margaret Brennan Welcomes Her Second Baby, Son Malek Murphy

"My eldest, it's really incredible, he can name cars — makes and models — as they drive past," she says of Eamon. "Whereas I'd be like, 'Oh, that's an orange car,' or, 'That's a black car,' he'd be like, 'That is a Buick blah blah blah.'"

Malek, she says, is still learning to talk, but he has a "killer smile" and reveals more of his personality with each day. From what she can tell, he's a little more "mischievous" than his older brother. "Malek's the one who's like, if you turn around for a second, 'Why are you standing on the table?'"

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer.

Brennan's parenting adds to her star power as a host, enlightening her on key issues of the moment, like paid family leave, and more importantly reminding viewers that — even after reaching the top of her field — she's just a regular person working to get them answers amid all of life's other demands. She's not above anyone and she's not against anyone, she's just passionate about the work.

"If anyone says, 'Oh, I'm perfect and I got it all handled,' that's not at all in the case," Brennan warns. "Just look at my messy office."