Trump Radically Changes His Tune About Chuck Todd in Unhinged Attack on ‘Scum’ Running NBC
Trump has bashed “sleepy” Chuck Todd on social media since at least 2011.
NBC/William B. Plowman/NBC via Getty
It took just one positive comment from Chuck Todd for President Donald Trump to suddenly reverse more than a decade of insults against the former Meet the Press moderator.
Asked how “impactful” Trump has been in office, Todd said during an interview Monday with the Christian Broadcast Network that in some ways, Trump has been the most impactful president since Franklin D. Roosevelt.
“I think culturally, in particular, certainly on our political identity, I think he’s had – not since FDR we had this kind of, a president with – look, he wants to involve himself in everything,” he said. “FDR involved himself in almost everything.”
Trump was apparently touched by the remarks.
Despite often criticizing Chuck Todd, the TV news-obsessed President Trump agreed to appear with him multiple times on "Meet the Press." Here, the two men are pictured in June 2019 at the White House.
NBC NewsWire/William B. Plowman/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
“Wow, thank you Chuck,” he wrote in a Truth Social post Tuesday. “I always said that you were far better than the scum that runs the FAKE NEWS at NBC and, especially, Brian Roberts and ‘Concast.’”
It was quite the about-face from a man who has referred to the newscaster as some variation of “Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd” since at least 2011. During a 2018 congressional campaign rally in Pennsylvania, Trump also called Todd a “sleeping son of a bitch.”
Sign Up for The Swamp Newsletter
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Todd, 53, famously clashed with the first Trump administration almost as soon as the president was sworn in back in 2017.
After then-Press Secretary Sean Spicer tried to claim that Trump had drawn the biggest inauguration crowds of all time—a claim that was flat-out wrong—Todd confronted Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway on the Meet the Press. Conway then tried to defend Spicer as giving “alternative facts.”
“Look, alternative facts are not facts. They’re falsehoods,” Todd replied.
Trump nevertheless sat down with Todd on the venerated interview program multiple times, both during his 2016 presidential campaign and during his first term in office.
After Trump criticized Todd by name, he received “weird death threats,” and his car tires were slashed while the vehicle was parked in front of his house, the veteran broadcaster revealed in June.
Chuck Todd said he received "bizarre death threats" and someone slashed his car tires after the president criticized him.
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
Shortly after Trump took office for a second time in January, Todd announced he was leaving NBC after nearly 20 years at the network, where he also served as chief White House correspondent.
He had previously stepped down from Meet the Press in 2023 and was replaced by Kristen Welker, whose relationship with the president has been far less contentious.
In April, Todd announced he was trying to launch a $2 billion media company dedicated to local and community news. He has also relaunched his podcast with a focus on longer interviews with lawmakers.
“You are a Free Man now,” Trump wrote in his Tuesday Truth Social post. “Congratulations - Use your time well!”
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.