And the news anchor eventually became a staple of the White House briefing room. Between 2012 and 2026, he covered four different presidential administrations. By 2021, he stepped into the role of NBC’s co-chief White House correspondent alongside Kristen Welker.
His “Saturday TODAY” role added another major piece to that profile. Alexander began his tenure with the program in October 2018. He later shared hosting duties with Welker from 2020 until 2023, at which point she transitioned to her new role moderating “Meet the Press.”
Following her departure, he anchored alongside Jarrett, who moved to NBC in January 2023 to serve as a senior legal correspondent. That meant Alexander was still holding a visible role at the network right up to his announcement.
During his 20th anniversary with the network in August 2024, the news anchor said, “I really feel like we have a higher responsibility doing this for a living. Being journalists, you have the trust of the audience, the trust of the people whose stories you’re telling. That’s something that I take so seriously.”
At the time, he also explained that he had “never imagined being a political reporter.” He called his “Saturday TODAY” colleagues his “closest friends,” which adds more weight to the fact that he still chose to leave.
