How Meet the Press Host Kristen Welker Gets It Done
Kristen Welker has had a banner first year as moderator of NBC’s flagship Sunday show, Meet the Press. Welker, the first Black person and second woman to take on this role at the longest-running program in American television, has been relentlessly covering the 2024 election while welcoming her second child. After launching her TV-news career more than 20 years ago in Redding, California, Welker worked her way up to what she thought was her dream job: White House correspondent for NBC News. But moderating Meet the Press, she says, has been her most challenging yet fulfilling role. She credits the support of her family and friends for her ability to balance a demanding career and expand her family. Welker lives in the Washington, D.C., area with her husband, John, and their 3-year-old daughter, Margot, and 5-month-old son, John Zachary. Here, how she gets it done.
On her morning routine:
I wake up with my kids between 5 and 6 a.m. Margot loves being a big sister; she loves being a helper. Together we change and feed John Zachary and then we get Margot her breakfast. Mine usually entails yogurt and coffee, and I sit with Margot at a little-kid pink table to eat together. Then I get Margot ready; her dad and I usually take her to school. Drop-off is at 9 a.m. and then I go to work. It usually takes me about half an hour to get there.
Sundays are different. My day starts much earlier — my alarm goes off at around 3:30 a.m. My husband takes over all of the breakfast duties. It’s a really hectic schedule, and all bets are off. I’m in hair-and-makeup by 4:30 a.m, usually reading through all of the news articles from overnight. Then I’m sitting down at the desk for Meet the Press by 5:30 a.m. That’s really when our day starts: I’m doing affiliate hits and doing teases in the run-up to the show, which we start at 9 a.m. After I am done with work, I come home and we have a big family brunch.
On a typical workweek:
The week starts the moment that I finish Meet the Press. That’s when we start thinking about what guests we wanna book for the following Sunday. We make sure that we are bringing guests who can help to get information to our viewers and to push the story — in this case, the election. I also anchor Meet the Press Now Wednesday through Friday between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.
My days off are Monday and Tuesday, depending. A lot of Tuesdays, I am working on special projects or meeting with people who I’d like to book for the program. I also developed a “Meet the Moment” segment, and we will tape that on Tuesday. I am always reporting and engaging with the D.C. bureau, making sure that I’m coordinating with the correspondents here to help contribute to our body of reporting.
On her first year in the moderator’s chair:
My vision for the Meet the Press franchise is to hear from the most diverse set of voices possible and bring our viewers a wide range of perspectives so that they are getting the best information they can to digest the various issues that impact their life. For example, on a recent Friday I had the opportunity to interview former congressman Fred Upton, one of the latest Republicans to endorse Vice-President Kamala Harris. That’s an interview that may not have fit within the Sunday show, but his voice is valuable and critical. We asked, “What’s the impact in the overall race? Has it had an impact?”
The biggest lesson that I have learned in my first year in this role is to stay true to the core values of this show. This is a public-affairs program, and the purpose of this show is to help educate the American public. With each interview, the goal is to make sure that our guests are being heard and they feel as though they are getting a fair hearing. At the same time, I make sure that I’m asking them tough questions — questions that hold them to account for their words and for their actions.
On managing stress:
My biggest priority is spending time with my family and with my kids. When I’m not working, I am with them, whether we are at the park or spending time at home playing, painting, reading. I try to put the phone down now, but we are in an election year, so every once in a while I have to pick it back up again. I also try to get in two really good exercise sessions per week. I have a really nice, walkable neighborhood, so I try to walk, too.
On her evening routine:
I try to get home around 6 p.m. We have a quick dinner. Margot has usually eaten a little earlier, but she still sits with us. Sometimes she’ll pick up some of ours, which is really fun and gives her a chance to explore new food. We are in full bedtime mode until about 8 p.m. We read together as a family and put both kids to bed. Afterward, I’m often reading and researching for the show. That has been an adjustment because John and I really love to watch TV. He loves to watch Survivor, and I’ve become a bit of a fan as well. Another show we love is Top Chef. We try to watch little snippets here and there.
When I say, “Okay, I’m gonna start getting ready for bed,” John laughs at me and says, “No finding side projects!,” because I’m always finding other things around the house that I wanna work on. I try to unwind by reading a little. That’s also a time for John and I to get caught up on our day and make sure that we’re connecting, which is important when you have two kids and you both have jobs that keep you really busy. Even when we try to watch a little TV at the end of the night, I’m usually asleep within five minutes.
On always wanting to be a journalist:
I grew up in Philadelphia, the birthplace of our democracy in many ways, and so my love of politics is in my bones. I have wanted to be a journalist for as long as I can remember. That started in part when I was in high school — my mother ran for office, and I got to be a part of the political process from the inside. She was an African American businesswoman who was running for city council against a powerful male politician at the time. I realized how important it is that she got a fair hearing from different journalists. I wrote for my high-school newspaper and then I went to Harvard and I wrote for the Independent, which was the weekly newspaper. After that, I worked behind the scenes in New York for a few years and then launched my on-air career in Redding, California.
On taking maternity leave in an election year:
John Zachary was born the night that Donald Trump was convicted, so I always say he has a nose for news. We had both of our kids with the help of a surrogate. I took a staggered maternity leave, in part because we are in an election year. I had a supportive group of friends and family who said, “We are gonna help you through this.” I took about six weeks off and then came back to work. I was very fortunate that Meet the Press was preempted during the Olympics, which gave me another month off to be with family. Everyone at NBC — including president Rebecca Blumenstein, who is also a mom — was incredibly supportive from the moment I said I was expecting my son. They said, “Take as much time as you need. If you need more time, take more time.”
On sharing her surrogacy journey:
I didn’t know how people would respond to the news that I was working with a surrogate to bring my daughter, Margot, into the world. Everyone has been so supportive, and it has been incredibly humbling. As a journalist, I felt like I had a responsibility to be really honest with our viewers and to share this beautiful journey with them. I also felt like it was important for Margot, and now for John Zachary, to feel that they are loved and celebrated — that we are shouting from the rooftops that these amazing women helped them come into this world.
On the people who help her get it done:
My husband is my rock. He never flinches when I have a schedule change. He always says, “We’ll work it out — we’ll get through it.” My parents are a big part of it as well. When I go to New York for election coverage, they are coming to stay with my husband and kids to help. On a daily basis, we have a wonderful nanny. She’s worked with us since Margot was 3 months old. My husband’s mother is staying with us right now, and she has been an immense help. My husband also has two siblings, and everyone chips in when they can.
I’m also blessed to have friends from high school and college who are always in my corner. And there’s my NBC family, for which I’m so grateful. Andrea Mitchell has been my mentor from the moment that I arrived at NBC News. There’s my team at Meet the Press, who are the most extraordinary team of journalists but also friends. There’s the other correspondents at NBC News who’ve been incredibly supportive as I’ve taken on this role: Peter Alexander, Kelly O’Donnell, Chuck Todd.
On landing her dream job:
My entire career, I’ve wanted to be a White House correspondent and a political journalist for NBC. I would tell everyone who would listen. Moderating Meet the Press is the greatest honor and has exceeded my dreams. It is also a responsibility that I take incredibly seriously, especially against the backdrop of this election cycle. My goal is that that translates to our viewers and that, also, I can pass that down to my children. My hope for them is that they find a job that they love as much as I love this role.