Tony Dokoupil's Job Threatened By Trump

Tony Dokoupil’s new job at CBS Evening News has not been without backlash. In fact, even President Donald Trump recently questioned Dokoupil’s position. This comes out as Dokoupil got to meet the president face-to-face.

Tony Dokoupil Joined CBS Evening News In Early January

Dokoupil became known to audiences through his job hosting on CBS Mornings. However, he recently transitioned into his new role as anchor for CBS Evening News. Officially, his first day was January 5, but he actually made his debut a few days earlier to cover news in Venezuela.

This notably comes out amid a shakeup at the network. Dokoupil was chosen by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss in October 2025.

Tony Dokoupil - YouTube — Tony Dokoupil – YouTube

On January 13, Dokoupil got to interview President Donald Trump himself during a broadcast of CBS Evening News. This came during his second week as the show’s new anchor.

The new anchor discussed a number of issues with the president. This included ongoing protests in Iran, the economy, and the investigation concerning Jerome Powell.

In an interesting turn, Trump shared he felt Dokoupil partially owed his new position to his own second presidential victory. Referring to when Joe Biden was president, Trump shared, “A year and a half ago, our country was dead. We had a dead country. You wouldn’t have a job right now.”

Dokoupil Also Shared His Own Thoughts To The President’s Recent Share

The president continued this idea while speaking about Kamala Harris, who ran against him in 2024. He shared, “If she got in, you probably wouldn’t have a job right now… You wouldn’t have this job, certainly whatever the hell they’re paying you.”

For his part, Dokoupil disagreed with the sentiment, thinking he would still have gotten his current position at CBS Evening News if things had worked out differently. As he shared, “For the record, I do think I’d have this job even if the other guys won.” Trump, however, mused, “Yeah, but at a lesser salary.”

President Donald Trump - YouTube — President Donald Trump – YouTube

This interview also comes out as Dokoupil has been travelling across the United States, visiting major cities in his new role as the Evening News anchor. Previously, Dokoupil made headlines when he had an emotional moment in Florida, the state he originally grew up in, sharing his wish that he could have spent his whole childhood in the state.

As previously reported, Dokoupil’s new position has already come with some backlash. For example, Megyn Kelly recently took issue with Dokoupil breaking down in tears during his visit to Florida. At the time, comparing him to Walter Cronkite, she felt that such emotional moments should be reserved for more serious stories, such as the assassination of a president.

Meanwhile, Trump has also been critical of CBS as of late on social media. After the network aired an interview with former Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who publicly feuded with him, he shared a message on Truth Social. At the time, he wrote, “THEY ARE NO BETTER THAN THE OLD OWNERSHIP, who just paid me millions of Dollars for FAKE REPORTING about your favorite President, ME!” Later, he shared, “Since they bought it, 60 Minutes has actually gotten WORSE!”

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