CBS Names Margaret Brennan As Anchor For ‘Face the Nation’

CBS News named Margaret Brennan as the new moderator of its flagship public-affairs program, Face the Nation, making the anchor a more prominent part of the national news cycle.

Brennan will start in her new role this Sunday,  but will continue in her position as CBS News’ senior foreign affairs correspondent based in Washington, D.C. She succeeds John Dickerson as the anchor of CBS’ Sunday morning mainstay, which first launched in 1954.

The decision places a journalist with a background in coverage of business and the financial markets in a seat that holds politicians and national newsmakers to account. Prior to joining CBS News, anchored and reported for Bloomberg Television, and was a correspondent at CNBC with a focus on the consumer during the financial crisis. She also contributed to various NBC News programs. Brennan began her career as a producer for CNBC’s Wall $treet Week with Louis Rukeyser.

She joined CBS News in 2012 and has been White House and senior foreign affairs correspondent since 2017, working with Vice President and Washington Bureau Chief Christopher Isham.

“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 in a statement. “The entire Face the Nation team is thrilled she’s taking over the anchor spot.”

Brennan joins a select coterie of TV journalists. Face the Nation will under her aegis vie each week for attention with NBC’s Meet the Press, anchored by Chuck Todd; This Week on ABC, led by George Stephanopoulos; CNN’s State of the Union, anchored by Jake Tapper; and Fox News Sunday, moderated by Chris Wallace.

Since 2012, Brennan has been based in Washington and has reported on the Trump administration, and previously President Obama’s administration, for all CBS News programs. She covered the State Department for four years, where she reported on major national security stories including nuclear negotiations with Iran; restoration of diplomatic ties with Cuba; the standoff with North Korea; the conflict in Ukraine; and the accord to transfer control of Syria’s chemical weapons.

Brennan was spotted this weekend interviewing U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for a segment on 60 Minutes.