Chris Wallace will leave CNN 3 years after defecting from 'Fox News Sunday'

Veteran journalist and news anchor Chris Wallace is leaving CNN after more than two years at the cable news broadcaster.

A representative for CNN confirmed the news to USA TODAY on Monday. Mark Thompson, CEO and chairman of CNN, said in a statement that Wallace is "one of the most respected political journalists in the news business with a unique track record across radio, print, broadcast television, cable television and streaming."

Wallace, 77, announced his impending departure to The Daily Beast on Monday, sharing that he intends to take his talents to an independent streaming or podcasting platform.

"We want to thank him for the dedication and wisdom he’s brought to all his work at CNN and to wish him the very best for the future," the statement concluded.

Wallace, who hosts "Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?" on Max and anchors "The Chris Wallace Show" on Saturdays for CNN, will wrap his duties at the broadcaster by the end of the year, per The Daily Beast. The outlet reported "The Chris Wallace Show" will end next month, and Friday's episode of "Who's Talking" will be its last.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Chris Wallace was 'tired' of only covering politics when he moved to CNN

The former "Fox News Sunday" anchor made waves in 2021 when he announced he would be leaving Fox News after nearly two decades. At the time, he was slated to be one of the headlining news personalities at streamer CNN+, but the service was scrapped in its entirety within weeks.

While at Fox, Wallace moderated debates ahead of both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.

Speaking with USA TODAY in 2022, Wallace admitted it was "a bumpy road" to getting to "Who's Talking."

"I've spent 18 years hosting a Sunday talk show, and I very much enjoyed that. But I've got a lot more interests than just politics," he said at the time. "I love entertainment, and I love sports and I'm fascinated by business and I'm very interested in culture."

Wallace also revealed, "I just frankly got tired of covering politics implicitly."

"Covering politics exclusively, it becomes so incremental," he said. "I mean, how many weeks in a row was it, 'Here's the minuscule development on the Build Back Better bill?' You feel like you're slicing this salami thinner and thinner."

On "Who's Talking," Wallace has interviewed figures from Robert De Niro, Whoopi Goldberg, Matt Damon and Carol Burnett to Sen. Bernie Sanders, Gloria Steinem, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Dr. Anthony Fauci and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

What's next for Chris Wallace?

In a recent interview with The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network, Wallace admitted he still enjoys covering U.S. politics after decades in the profession.

"Yeah, I do. God help me, I still love it. I still am excited — you know, by all the things that I do. I love covering a political campaign. I love the interviews I do."

When asked how much longer he sees himself interviewing people, Wallace referenced the longevity of his father, the late "60 Minutes" correspondent and investigative journalist Mike Wallace.

"I can't give you a number, but I will say Wallaces work. You know, my dad was still working late into his 80s. I don't know if I'll go that long, but I'm not about to hang it up," he said. "Life has a way of deciding things for you. But at this point, knock on wood, I've got my wits, I've got my energy about me and my curiosity is running strong. What else do you need?"