– Kristen Welker stepping down from “Today” on Saturdays
– Laura Jarrett taking over as co-anchor
– Welker focusing on her role as White House correspondent
Kristen Welker is taking a step back from her role as co-anchor on “Today” Saturdays. Laura Jarrett, another prominent personality in broadcast news, will be assuming the role of her replacement. This decision comes after Jarrett has been regularly filling in for Welker in recent months.
Welker has decided to focus solely on her responsibilities as NBC News’ Chief White House Correspondent while also taking on new duties covering politics and foreign affairs. She expressed her gratitude on Twitter, saying, “I can’t thank my @TODAYshow family enough for their support during the whirlwind of these last two years. I’m so thrilled to pass the baton to my friend and colleague, the incredibly talented @LauraAJarrett.”
Welker joined “Today” in January 2020, shortly before the covid-19 pandemic took hold. During her tenure, she played a pivotal role in covering the Trump and Biden administrations as well as the 2020 elections. She will continue to be a fixture on NBC News programs, including “NBC Nightly News,” “Meet the Press,” and MSNBC. Prior to joining the network, Welker was a producer and reporter at WCAU-TV in Philadelphia and was assigned to cover the White House for NBC News in 2011.
Jarrett, an experienced journalist who has covered significant stories such as the Supreme Court confirmation hearings and the Mueller investigation, began her journey with CNN as a justice correspondent in 2016 and recently joined NBC News as a correspondent in September this year. She has also worked as a CNN legal analyst and “Early Start” co-anchor. She shared her enthusiasm for the new position on Twitter, saying, “I’m just so excited to join the @TODAYshow family for this next chapter.”