Savanah Guthrie's Power Grab at The Today Show

It seems with Matt Lauer's huge ego out of the way, it is making some room for Savanah Guthrie to grow hers. 

Page Six dishes that Guthrie pulled a “power grab” to install an ally as the executive producer of Today.

We’re told that after former co-host Matt Lauer was canned in November, Guthrie pushed out Lauer pal and executive producer Don Nash and had him replaced by veteran senior producer Libby Leist. A source said that insiders “were shocked” when Nash — who started as an NBC page and has been there for 30 years — was replaced by Leist.

“Libby is Savannah’s best friend, and Savannah pushed Don out to put Libby there. It is a power grab by Savannah to make sure she gets the best assignments and has someone at the top looking out for her,” the insider said.

The source added that “this isn’t an issue with [Lauer replacement Hoda Kotb] — who is just happy to be there — but it is an issue with some of the staff, who had hoped, with the ousting of Lauer, that the era of anchors with outsized power calling the shots was over.”

A different source at the show said that “some staffers were puzzled,” since they figured the job would likely go to co-executive producer Tom Mazzarelli. But “Libby and Savannah are very close. They’re workout buddies and old DC allies.” The show also now has a woman in charge of its first two hours for the first time ever, with women in the anchor chairs. Leist was with the 7 a.m. hour of “Today” for five years

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