Kristen Welker says her new role on NBC's 'Meet the Press' is 'the honor of a lifetime'

Kristen Welker's big moment comes Sunday, when she replaces Chuck Todd as the moderator of NBC's venerable Sunday morning news show "Meet the Press." Her first big "get": an interview with former President Donald Trump as he seeks reelection in 2024 amid four criminal indictments, to be taped Thursday at Trump's Bedminster, N.J., home.

Welker, 47, has been NBC's chief White House correspondent since 2011, and first worked at the network as a "Today" show intern in 1997 while attending Harvard University. She capably wrangled the candidates in the final presidential debate of the 2020 election and is only the 13th host of "Meet the Press," TV's longest-running show, which premiered in 1947.

She's also the first person of color to host a Sunday morning public-affairs show, and the first woman to moderate "Meet the Press" since co-creator Martha Rountree left ‒ in 1953. Todd has been a polarizing presence at the table for nine years, and will remain at NBC as chief political analyst.

"We are in full preparation mode," she says in an exclusive interview. "I'm taking the baton from Chuck at a pivotal moment in our political discourse. So it's a huge responsibility and a huge honor, and we're ready."

Welker and executive producer David Gelles are also plotting a new segment that would feature diverse voices that influence politics outside of Washington, including people from sports, science and entertainment.

After canvassing voters and elected officials this summer, Welker discusses her role, motherhood, and the fractured political climate (edited and condensed for clarity).

What does it mean to you to become the first person of color to host a Sunday morning public affairs show?  

Kristen Welker: I'm a political junkie, so this is the honor of a lifetime. It is incredibly humbling. And I think that if you asked my mother, she would tell you that the fact that I am the first person of color taking over the moderator's chair is significant for me. I am going to be focused on continuing the great legacy and mission of "Meet the Press," which is to make sure that we are holding our elected officials to account, holding their feet to the fire, making sure that I'm asking tough questions.

What sparked your interest in covering politics? 

I grew up in Philadelphia, the bedrock of our democracy in many ways. My mom ran for city council, and so politics has always been a part of my DNA.

You've been on the White House beat for 12 years, but some viewers may be unfamiliar with you.  What should they know? 

I am a reporter at heart. I spent 10 years in local news: Redding, California, and Providence, Rhode Island, and Philadelphia before I got to the network. So I am approaching this job as moderator as a reporter; I want to make sure that we are bringing new and relevant information to our viewers every Sunday. I'm also a mom, and I'm so proud of my Margot, and that is arguably my greatest role in life. And I'm just someone who loves to talk about politics, and so it's a huge responsibility and honor.

You've been open about your struggles with infertility. (Welker's daughter was born via surrogacy.) Why, and what has that experience taught you? 

I wanted to share my experiences because honesty is so important. I wanted people to know the extraordinary journey of how Margot got here, and I also wanted to send a message to other families who are struggling with infertility that they're not alone. I cannot tell you how many people I've heard from who've said, "We've been going through infertility for years and the fact that you've opened up about what you've gone through has helped us." If we're open and honest about who we are and what we're going through, we have a deeper understanding of each other, that brings us closer.

How is Margot doing? And does she know about her mom's big moment? 

Well, she's only 2! She is doing so well. She is talking up a storm. She's maybe the one person who out-negotiates and out-debates me. We've talked about this moment to her. I'm not sure how much she truly understands. The important thing is that I'm there to put her to bed every night, and it's just the joy of my life to have her, frankly, and and it puts everything in focus.

What are you most and least looking forward to about the 2024 presidential election? 

I'm least looking forward to a lack of sleep, but other than that I am just game on, excited to dive into this new role for our viewers so that they're getting the critical information that they need breaking through everything that's been discussed throughout the week. It's important to have a civil political discourse.

Assuming we have another Trump-Biden contest, how is that going to go? 

It's a fascinating moment, because this is unprecedented. We haven't seen an ex-president run for office again in over 100 years, and so that adds an element of excitement to this potential rematch, and there are going to be obviously outside elements that make this rematch very different than what we saw in 2020.  I've really studied these two leaders, so I feel very prepared.

You won praise for moderating a much calmer second presidential debate in 2020. What is your appetite for a repeat round – assuming there is one – if you're asked, and what's the best advice that you can offer a future moderator? 

It was a huge honor to moderate that debate (and) a huge responsibility. I worked around the clock for weeks on end with an incredible team here at NBC. We didn't want to miss a beat, and I'm going to approach every Sunday as a mini debate. So of course if I get asked again, I would be honored. My advice for any future moderator: Prepare, prepare, prepare. I was surrounded by people who could tell me, "That question needs work. Let's go back and find a sharper way to ask it." And when I sat down, I felt so confident in the questions I had before me. I was excited to ask them because I thought that the American people really needed to hear the answers, and that's the bar for every question that I will ask on Sunday, and every question that I'll ask at any future debate.

But is it enough to just ask the right questions? What's your secret, with a candidate like Trump, for preventing it from going off the rails?

Someone gave me great advice when I was preparing for that debate, which was you want to have control in the moderator’s chair from the very moment you sit down. So that was really a guiding principle for me, and it guided the tone with which we opened the debate (and) the way in which I asked follow-up questions. It's a great piece of advice, and it's one that I frankly take with me whether I'm moderating a debate or doing an interview.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kristen Welker, new Meet the Press moderator, spills all on new role