CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan have been tapped to moderate Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate between Democratic nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and Republican nominee, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance.
The two newswomen are in charge of two of CBS’ premiere shows – with O’Donnell the anchor of CBS Evening News and Brennan the host of Face the Nation, the network’s long-running Sunday show.
For O’Donnell, 50, the debate moderator gig is a swan song of sorts, as she will exit Evening News after the November election and take on a new position at the network.
‘I have spent 12 years in the anchor chair here at CBS News, connected to a daily broadcast and the rigors of a relentless news cycle. It’s time to do something different,’ she said in a statement in late July.
For several years there were reports that O’Donnell, who took over the Evening News gig from Jeff Glor in 2019, was on her way out.
The New York Post reported in 2022 that amid third-place ratings, O’Donnell had a ‘first-class attitude’ with sources complaining about her ‘toxic behavior.’
O’Donnell reportedly does a full ‘dress rehearsal’ of the show a half-hour before it airs, with one source calling her a ‘news actress.’
‘There was an incident last year in the studio where she ranted about how her bronzer was wrong,’ one source told The Post, noting how members of O’Donnell’s hair and makeup team have ended up in tears. ‘We are in the middle of a pandemic and people are dying,’ the source also pointed out.
O’Donnell’s publicist Cindi Berger clapped back at the paper: ‘I am vehemently refuting these outrageous and sexist claims!’ when asked about O’Donnell’s treatment of staff and sizeable wardrobe budget.
Prior to taking over CBS Evening News, O’Donnell – a Washington, D.C. native – worked at the Capitol Hill publication Roll Call and then worked up the ranks at NBC News before moving to rival network CBS.
She continues to be a contributing correspondent for CBS’ 60 Minutes.
O’Donnell is married to Geoff Tracy, better known as ‘Chef Geoff,’ the name of his popular D.C. restaurants.
The couple have three children.
She previously moderated the South Carolina Democratic primary debate in 2020 alongside CBS Mornings’ Gayle King.
Brennan, 44, took over CBS’ long-running Sunday show in 2018 and also serves as CBS’ chief foreign affairs correspondent.
The Face the Nation host started her career as a business journalist, first working for CNBC and then Bloomberg Television.
In the past, she has been a target of former President Donald Trump’s ridicule.
In a 2019 tweet, Trump called the show ‘Deface the Nation.’
‘The CBS no name (host)ess, and other guest, Peter Baker of the Failing New York Times were totally biased, boring and wrong (as usual!),’ the then-president claimed.
Brennan met her husband Yado Yakub in college, when they were both studying at the University of Virginia, but they didn’t start dating until years after, according to People.
They married in 2015 and have two children.