The Feud Between NBC's Tom Llamas And Lester Holt Explained

When it was initially reported back in 2021 that something was going on with NBC's Lester Holt and newcomer Tom Llamas, it opened up the gates for a speculative feud. Per the New York Post, when Llamas was initially brought over as NBC News' senior national correspondent at the time, rumors were already running wild that he was actually there to replace Holt as host of "NBC Nightly News." Holt renegotiated his contract and secured the title of managing editor for four years as a way to ensure his position within the company, per Page Six. This, of course, boosted Holt's overall net worth, something NBC's parent company — Comcast — was likely trying to tamp down on with the arrival of Llamas.

However, it appeared that these rumors had legs, as on February 24, it was officially announced that Holt would be stepping down as host of "NBC Nightly News" and would be replaced by none other than Llamas. Holt is becoming the full-time host of "Dateline." Even with all the shuffling, it seems Llamas — having finally gotten what he wanted — is aiming to tone down the beef between him and Holt. "Lester Holt is a great man and one of the most trusted broadcasters of our time. Just like Lester, I promise to be devoted to our viewers and dedicated to the truth," Llamas said in a statement via NBC News. But how Holt feels about being pushed aside for a younger model remains a bit shrouded.

In a daily editorial meeting on March 5, Lester Holt had plenty of nice things to say about Tom Llamas. According to People, Holt spoke to his crew at "NBC Nightly News" and mentioned that not only does he support Llamas in the transition, but the entire news team does as well. As much as it appears the beef between Llamas and Holt has been squashed, it seems the real culprit behind any previous feud was Comcast, the parent company of NBC.

When Llamas first arrived, his salary was around $2.5 million, significantly lower than Holt's annual salary of $10 million. Of course cost cutting is on every CEO's mind, but there have been plenty of red flags in Holt's exit from "NBC Nightly News," the largest of which seems to be a pattern emerging in how NBC and MSNBC have been handling their dipping ratings post Donald Trump's re-election. There's a common theme behind the current shakeup: long-time anchors are departing. Joy Reid saw her show canceled, and Chuck Todd has also been moved along.

All these anchors being let go is certainly causing some major scandals for NBC, with many fans sad to see familiar faces leave.