Fox News anchor Bret Baier brushed off a barbed critique from former NBC political director Chuck Todd, who had questioned Baier’s journalistic integrity and suggested his relevance in the media landscape has faded. Mediaite reports the exchange underscores a simmering rivalry between two prominent figures in political broadcasting, each representing distinct eras and approaches to the craft.
Todd, once a fixture at NBC and the longtime moderator of Meet the Press, didn’t hold back in his assessment of Baier. “I thought he really actually cared about being a journalist first and wanting to walk that line,” Todd remarked recently, reflecting on Baier’s career. “And now he just wants to have tee time with the president.” The jab painted Baier as having drifted from the principled pursuit of truth into a cozy, access-driven orbit—an accusation that implies he’s traded credibility for proximity to power, a cardinal sin in the eyes of traditional journalism purists.
The comments landed under the spotlight during an interview at Semafor’s Trust in News: A National Summit, where media critic Ben Smith pressed Baier to respond.
.@BretBaier responds to comments from @chucktodd: "I don't know what promoted Chuck to do that. I have an interview to do with the U.K. Prime Minister today. So, I don't know what he's doing." pic.twitter.com/t4gCYSF1T3
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 27, 2025
Unfazed, Baier took the high road—or at least sidestepped the mudslinging—with a cool, dismissive retort.
Todd’s swipe comes against the backdrop of his own shifting fortunes. Earlier this year, after nearly two decades at NBC, he stepped away from the network that had long been his professional home. His departure from Meet the Press, where he’d helmed the Sunday political talk show circuit with a data-driven, insider’s lens, marked the end of an era for the veteran analyst. Since then, Todd has transitioned into a less visible role, contributing to NBC as a political commentator and occasional podcast voice, leaving some to wonder if his critique of Baier carries a tinge of projection—or envy—from a figure adjusting to life outside the anchor chair.
The dust-up reflects broader fault lines in today’s media world, where accusations of bias, access, and authenticity are flung freely between old-guard stalwarts and cable-news titans. Todd’s “tee time” barb aims at Baier’s perceived coziness with political elites—a charge that’s dogged Fox News broadly—but Baier’s shrug-off suggests he’s less concerned with winning the approval of his peers than with keeping his show in the conversation. As Todd fades from the daily grind and Baier presses on with world leaders in tow, the clash offers a snapshot of two paths diverging: one looking back with a critical eye, the other charging ahead, relevance be damned.
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