Luke Russert is leaving NBC, political reporting, effective Friday

(Image credit: Mike Coppola/Getty/Nantucket Film Festival)

Luke Russert joined NBC News as a politics reporter in 2008, fresh out of college and just six weeks after the sudden death of his father, veteran NBC newsman Tim Russert. On Wednesday, Russert and NBC announced that the congressional correspondent, now 31, has decided to leave the network, effective Friday. In a statement, Russert said he is not moving to a rival network but instead "taking some time away from political reporting" and pondering what to do with the rest of his life.

The sudden departure of a high-profile TV regular raised eyebrows in Washington and on Capitol Hill, CNNMoney reports, but friends and colleagues say that Russert is just bored and restless and looking for a change, or at least the chance to see if he wants a change. "It's fair to say my broadcast career began in an unusual way after college graduation and the death of my father," Russert said in his statement. "As a result, I threw myself into the work and never took the time to reflect, to travel, and to experience many things that would have given me a clearer sense of what my future should be."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.