Chuck Todd, the current moderator of NBC's “Meet the Press” and the political director for NBC News, spoke to American University students at an event hosted by the School of Communication and the Kennedy Political Union on Oct. 10. Todd discussed the latest on President Trump, journalism’s contemporary role in society and recent political news with students.
Jane Hall, a professor of journalism and media studies in SOC, moderated the event, which took place in the Doyle-Forman Theater in the McKinley building.
Todd set the tone for the discussion by highlighting “the debate about whether what kind of democracy we will have, not policy, but democracy.”
President Donald Trump was what Todd talked about most, saying that the United States was “in a national nightmare.” Todd furthered his thoughts, saying, “Democracy is in question because of this nightmare situation that we are in.”
Hall then asked Todd about his role of being a journalist in the chaotic and media-frenzied culture of today’s society.
“I have stopped caring about what people think of me,” Todd said. “I lost that six months ago – my job is not to make people uncomfortable.”.
Hall shifted the conversation away from journalism and President Trump and toward the 2020 presidential election. Hall asked Todd what people should expect as the campaign trail continues. Todd said there will be a third candidate other than Biden, Warren, and Sanders who places third in the Iowa caucus. Todd mentioned that Andrew Yang could potentially take third place.
“Don’t write off Yang,” he said. “Because a part of Bernie’s base is in Yang’s base.”
As the conversation between Hall and Todd wrapped up, students in the audience lined up for questions. One student asked for advice on getting accurate information from news sources.
Todd suggested that “Op-eds on The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times if that’s all you read, it is better than going on Twitter,” Todd said. “It drives the conversation.”
Todd provided useful insight to students into how he lives as a journalist covering Trump and the current political environment.
“Every day, I wake up unhappy because 40 percent of the country thinks I’m lying to them,” Todd said.
