Lester Holt
Lester Don Holt Jr. (born March 8, 1959) is an American journalist and news anchor for the weekday edition of NBC Nightly News, NBC Nightly News Kids Edition, and Dateline NBC. On June 18, 2015, Holt was made the permanent anchor of NBC Nightly News following the demotion of Brian Williams. Holt followed in the career footsteps of Max Robinson, an ABC News evening co-anchor, and became the first Black male solo anchor for a major network newscast.
Lester Holt | |
|---|---|
Holt in November 2019 | |
| Born | Lester Don Holt Jr. March 8, 1959 |
| Education | California State University, Sacramento (no degree) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1981–present |
| Employer(s) | CBS (1981–2000) NBC (2000–present) |
| Notable credit(s) | NBC Nightly News weeknight anchor (2015–present) Weekend Today co-anchor (2003–2015) NBC Nightly News weekend anchor (2007–2015) Dateline NBC anchor (2011–present) |
| Television | CBS News (1981–2000) NBC News (2000–present) |
| Term | Anchor of NBC Nightly News and NBC Nightly News Kids Edition |
| Predecessor | Brian Williams |
| Political party | Independent (2018–present) Republican (until 2018) |
| Spouse |
Carol Hagen (m. 1982) |
| Children | 2, including Stefan Holt |
According to a 2018 poll, Holt was ranked as being the most trusted TV news anchor in America. Holt was also known for moderating the first presidential debate of 2016 and was praised by The Washington Post columnists for his role in fact-checking false statements. While NBC Nightly News was the top-ranked evening news program for over 30 years during the Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams eras, ratings dropped to second place after Holt began as anchor.