Chuck Todd signs off 'Meet the Press,' handing show to Kristen Welker

Chuck Todd signed off on his last broadcast as host of NBC News' "Meet the Press" on Sunday as he handed the show over to his successor Kristen Welker and said he plans on focusing on "bridging" the U.S. divide.

"The last nine years as moderator of the longest-running show on television has been the honor of my professional life. And as I prepare to pass the baton to the next custodian, it is a privilege to pass it to someone who needs no introduction," Todd said before the show featured a montage of Welker questioning prominent politicians. 

Todd said he will continue to be a "big part of NBC's political coverage" and his future work will be "focused on bridging our divides, piercing these political bubbles."

Todd said in June that he would be leaving "Meet the Press" after hosting the show for nine years. The show is the longest-running TV series in the US, having first aired in November 1947.

Welker will be the first female host since Martha Rountree, who founded "Meet the Press."

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