NBC News’ Steve Kornacki Breaks Silence on ‘Abrupt’ Election Night Exit After 10 Hours

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Steve Kornacki

On Tuesday night, NBC News’ Steve Kornacki stood in front of the big board as he helped lead NBC News’ midterm election coverage. However, after it hit just over 10 hours on his Kornacki Cam livestream, he walked off the set, with the live broadcast ended early, as it was initially set to run for 13 hours.

During the broadcast, Kornacki said, “OK folks, we’re going to keep on. I am going to take one more break; I just need to take about five minutes here, but I’ll be right back.”

He then walked off set, but did not return. And with that it brought up questions about the abrupt departure.

Around 4 a.m., Kornacki shared a post, revealing why he didn’t return.

“I was sure 13 hours would be fine, but things caught up to me in a hurry at hour 10,” the analyst, who is known for his signature look, including his trademark khakis, said. “I can’t say thanks enough to all of you. What a ride, and I think we did make livestream history. Sorry for the abrupt ending!”

Fans Show Support Following Steve Kornacki’s Exit

On Instagram, NBC News posted a video of Kornacki’s abrupt exit, including his post on social media, and fans were having fun in the comments.

“Homie has nothing to apologize for, he CRUSHED it the entire night, took almost no time for himself, meanwhile his LAV mics had to be switched out constantly because THEIR batteries were low. LEGEND,” one person commented.

“I was locked in the whole time on the Kornacki cam. Dude is a legend. Go take a long nap my guy, you’ve earned it,” another person shared.

“Map daddy needs a break,” a fan said.

“was born too late to watch Jordan in his prime, but I imagine watching you tonight was how that would’ve felt. Thanks for awesome coverage, as always!,” another fan stated.

“You are, always were, always will be , THE BEST OF THE REST!! Thanks for an INCREDIBLE NIGHT that few will ever forget!! Now get some rest! 💙🥂🌊🥰,” one fan posted.

“Thank you for your service tonight Steve This’ll be a night and some coverage from you to remember 🫡,” someone wrote.

Steve Kornacki’s Election Stream Drew 29 Million Views

According to an NBC News press release, Kornacki’s election night livestream was the No. 1 election live stream on YouTuve, drawing a “record 29 million views across all platforms.”

“Featuring 10.5 hours of nonstop coverage, the unfiltered, behind-the-scenes livestream gave viewers a continuous look at Steve Kornacki as he tracked and analyzed election results throughout the night,” the press release continued. “For the first time ever, Kornacki was able to simultaneously appear in NBC News’ special election broadcast coverage and his dedicated ‘Kornacki Cam’ livestream, all from the same physical set at NBC News’ state-of-the-art election headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.”

Kornacki also reacted to the news.

“Pure gratitude for all of you who watched last night. This started as an experiment with a House special election last year and turned into this,” he posted on X.