NBC News' Lester Holt Should Be At The WHCD

The biggest news story about, well, the news so far this year has got to belong to NBCUniversal, which saw the face of NBC News suddenly tarnished after reports surfaced that Brian Williams may have fabricated or exaggerated his reporting. With the suspension of longtime anchor Brian Williams, NBC News put its faith in Lester Holt, who has since steadily led the flagship show Nightly News out of the Williams scandal. So will Lester Holt be at the White House Correspondents Dinner?

No surprise, NBC's new leading man is expected to attend Saturday's big event where journalism, politics, and entertainment come together to rub elbows, crack jokes, and toast champagne. Holt, who has frequented the event for years, is listed as a guest at the NBC News table. He'll be joined by other familiar faces such as Al Roker, Chris Jansing, Cynthia McFadden, and Tamron Hall.

In February, Holt became the interim anchor of Nightly News in light of the Brian Williams scandal. According to insiders, Holt has been welcomed by staffers and has managed to keep the show afloat. Holts retained most of NBC's audience during the transition, though the show has slightly dipped in recent ratings to lose to "ABC World News Tonight With David Muir" for the third week in a row.

Still, Holt could possibly become a permanent replacement as speculation continues over Williams' return. Williams was suspended for six months after reports emerged that showed the longtime anchor had exaggerated stories, including one particular Iraq War mission during which the journalist claimed his helicopter was forced to land after being struck by enemy fire.

Williams has been a longtime fixture at the WHCD and even emceed the event in 1999. But while Williams' seat will noticeably be missing, Holt the "nice guy" will be there as a good reminder that the news — as does life — goes on.

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