‘Meet the Press' moderator Kristen Welker welcomes baby No. 2 via surrogate

Kristen Welker is now a mom of two. 

During the Sunday, June 2 episode of “Meet the Press,” NBC News Chief White House Correspondent Peter Alexander announced that Welker and her husband, John Hughes, welcomed their second child.

Their son, John Zachary Welker Hughes, was born on May 30 via a surrogate. 

The newborn weighed exactly 7 pounds and measured nearly 20 inches long, said Alexander, who was filling in on "Meet the Press" for Welker, his former Saturday TODAY co-anchor.

Welker and her husband also share 2-year-old daughter Margot, who will turn 3 on June 12.

The “Meet the Press” segment featured an adorable photo of Margot holding her new baby brother. 

Alexander reported that Margot was “extremely proud” to meet baby John Zachary when he came home June 1.

Alexander also shared a message from Welker, who referred to her surrogate as “her angel on Earth.” Welker added that the couple’s surrogate is “doing great.” 

Alexander congratulated the Welker family and said that the “Meet the Press” crew couldn’t wait to meet the newborn. 

Welker shared the “Meet the Press” announcement to her Instagram.

Fans filled the comments section with messages congratulating Welker and her family. 

Welker opened up about expanding her family in an interview with TODAY.com in May. 

“Margot has told all of her schoolmates that her parents are getting her a baby brother for her birthday!” she gushed. 

She said she and her husband hadn’t decided on a name at the time, revealing that they had some “top contenders” in mind — though the proud big sister did. Margot had suggested to her parents that they name her brother Lolo. 

“So we refer to him as Lolo in our household,” Welker shared, with a laugh. 

Welker and her husband welcomed Margot via surrogacy in 2021.

The “Meet the Press” moderator, who succeeded Chuck Todd in September 2023, has opened up in the past about struggling with infertility and being open with her daughter about the surrogacy process. 

“I’ve explained to Margot that most mommies get to carry their babies in their tummy, but Mama has a boo-boo. So, she has a special friend who carried you, and is now carrying your baby brother,” Welker said. 

Welker told TODAY.com that the couple used a different surrogate for their son because the former surrogate recently gave birth. 

“She’s still very much a part of our lives and even reached out to our new surrogate, Angelica,” Welker shared. 

“We’ve become like this little family,” she added.

Welker and her husband faced some problems during their second surrogacy journey, which began in 2022.  

“We had setbacks — there was more heartbreak — there were days when I asked myself, ‘Why is this so hard for us?’” she said. “But we kept pushing forward. We did lose another embryo in this process, and we had to deal with the loss of that and the setback and wondering again, was this going to work for us?

“What I’m proud of is that John and I didn’t give up. He has always been my rock and I credit our love with getting us through those tough times,” she added.

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