Former MSNBC anchor Chuck Todd has been publicly accused of harbouring personal animosity towards a former colleague during their time together at the network, leading to alleged professional slights.
Allegations of On-Air Snubs
Newsmax host Greta Van Susteren, who worked alongside Todd for several months in 2017, took to social media platform X on Tuesday to make a striking claim. The 71-year-old broadcaster asserted that Todd regularly refused to perform live introductions, known as "tosses," from his 5 p.m. programme to her 6 p.m. show.
Van Susteren alleged this behaviour stemmed from Todd's displeasure at her hiring and a personal dislike for her. "Phil Griffin, the former President of MSNBC, told me that you refused to do live tosses to me from your 5pm MSNBC show to mine because you were angry that MSNBC hired me and you didn’t like me," she wrote in a reply to one of Todd's posts. "As an aside, I never did anything to you."
Todd's Response and Career Context
When contacted by the Daily Mail for comment on Wednesday, Todd, 53, expressed scepticism about the allegations. "I don’t recall anything like that, so I don’t have any comments to offer," the former Meet the Press moderator stated.
The veteran journalist left MSNBC and NBC News in January 2025 after eighteen successful years with the network. His tenure included serving as chief White House correspondent from 2008 and taking the helm of Meet the Press in 2014. The following year, he expanded the programme with an MSNBC hour called 'MTP Daily' – the very 5 p.m. slot referenced in Van Susteren's claims.
Historical Network Dynamics
Van Susteren joined MSNBC from Fox News in January 2017, hosting 'For the Record with Greta' immediately following Todd's programme. However, her stint proved short-lived, lasting less than six months before being cancelled due to persistently poor ratings.
Industry analysis revealed that despite inheriting viewers from Todd's highly-rated lead-in, 'For the Record' struggled to retain its audience. The programme consistently ranked as the lowest-rated show on the network among both total viewers and the crucial 25-54 demographic. Tens of thousands of viewers reportedly tuned out during her broadcast, only to return for Chris Matthews' 'Hardball' afterwards.
Where Are They Now?
Phil Griffin, the former MSNBC president cited as the source of Van Susteren's information, left the network in early 2021 and has since retired from the industry.
Today, Chuck Todd works as an independent journalist following his departure from NBC. Van Susteren, known for her centrist-leaning broadcasting style, joined conservative network Newsmax in 2022. Her social media post detailing the allegations against Todd had been viewed over 300,000 times at the time of reporting.
The public exchange highlights the sometimes tense behind-the-scenes dynamics within major news networks, where personal relationships can significantly influence professional collaborations and on-air presentation.
