Kelly O’Donnell will lead NBC News‘ coverage of the Justice Department, as the network announced her promotion today to chief justice and national affairs correspondent.
O’Donnell, who has been senior White House correspondent for the past four years, “brings three decades covering the White House, Capitol Hill and eight political campaigns to this new assignment, with the tenacious and precise reporting that has made her one of the most respected journalists in Washington,” Chloe Arensberg, NBC News’ Washington bureau chief, announced in a memo to DC bureau staffers.
Kelly O’Donnell
Patrick Randak/NBC
O’Donnell will contribute across NBC News platforms, including NBC Nightly News, Today and streaming service NBC News Now.
Pete Williams, who was longtime Justice Department correspondent for NBC News, said in a statement, “She understands how much the White House and the Justice Department are working together and brings her solid reporting chops to one of the most important beats in town.”
That intersection of the White House and DOJ will be evident later today, when President Donald Trump holds a swearing in ceremony for Jeanine Pirro, the former Fox News host now serving as interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.
O’Donnell was president of the White House Correspondents’ Association from 2023 to 2024. She previously led NBC News’ coverage on Capitol Hill, a tenure that included three speakerships and multiple Supreme Court nominations. She also covered the Supreme Court from 2022 to 2023, “making her the rare reporter to cover all three branches of government,” Arensberg noted.
O’Donnell joined the network in 1994. She has covered eight presidential elections, as well as major events including 9/11, the Oklahoma City bombing, the Columbine school shooting and the O.J. Simpson case. During the Iraq war, she was embedded with the Third Infantry Division during operations in Fallujah in 2003. She also reported from aircraft above Iraq on a classified combat mission during the air assault on Baghdad, among other assignments during the war. She has won two Emmy awards and the Northwestern Alumni Medal for career achievement.
O’Donnell began her broadcast career at WJW-TV, then the CBS affiliate in Cleveland, Ohio, where she was anchor and reporter.
Kristen Welker, moderator of Meet the Press, said in a statement, “Kelly is a brilliant reporter who has excelled at every beat she has covered. I’m excited to see her take on this new assignment and for her continued contributions to NBC News, including on our Meet the Press panels.”
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