Leaving His Post

Philip Rucker, The Washington Post's high-profile national editor, has indicated to people that he is exiting the newspaper, according to people familiar with the matter.

Mike Semel, a deputy managing editor at the newspaper, is expected to fill the role on an interim basis, according to the people.

Rucker's expected exit comes amid a larger talent exodus that has seen some of the storied newspaper's most prized journalists flee the Jeff Bezos-owned and Will Lewis-led institution.

CNN had been aggressively working to recruit Rucker for a high-ranking Washington position, as we first reported. That effort had been led by the network's top leadership, including CNN boss Mark Thompson, according to people familiar with the matter.

It's not clear whether Rucker has formally accepted CNN's offer, but he had been in the final stages of negotiations with the network this week, according to the people.

Rucker's impending exit is a major loss for The Post, especially with Donald Trump set to reclaim power in just days. He was a member of various teams of reporters awarded Pulitzer Prizes for stories related to Trump.

A spokesperson for The Post declined to comment.