CBS News announced on Thursday that senior foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan will be the new moderator of Face the Nation. Brennan’s first show will be this Sunday and she will continue in her role as senior foreign affairs correspondent.
The New York Times was the first to report the news of Brennan’s promotion.
“Face the Nation is one of the longest-running traditions in television,” said CBS News president David Rhodes. “Margaret’s coverage of the White House and the world make her the ideal moderator for this legendary CBS News franchise at this moment in time.”
“Margaret’s ability to ask newsmakers tough but fair questions in a deft and respectful manner, her sharp news instincts, and her tremendous ability to make complicated subjects understandable make her the perfect person to lead us into the next chapter of the broadcast,” said Mary Hager, executive producer of Face the Nation. “The entire Face the Nation team is thrilled she’s taking over the anchor spot.”
“Both domestically and globally, news is breaking at an unrelenting pace,” said Brennan. “Face the Nation has long been the place that viewers across the country rely on to make sense of it all by cutting through the noise to break down what matters and how it affects our daily lives. I am deeply honored and excited to carry on Face the Nation’s tradition of helping provide this crucial context to our viewers.”
Brennan has been with CBS News since 2012. Prior to that, she was with Bloomberg and CNBC.
The previous host of Face the Nation was John Dickerson. He took over as host in 2015 and left the show earlier this year in order to join CBS This Morning as a co-host following the firing of Charlie Rose.