Tony Dokoupil is a seasoned journalist. He was part of CBS’s morning news program for the last six years. But he left CBS Mornings behind last month after he got a massive promotion. The morning show host moved to primetime as the new host of CBS Evening News. Unfortunately, his debut has some major hiccups. One viewer even slammed it as “dysfunctional.” Keep reading to find out what happened.
Tony Dokoupil Takes Over CBS Evening News
CBS viewers expected some changes when the network’s parent company, Paramount Global, merged with Skydance Media. Before the merger even went through, the network unexpectedly canceled Stephen Colbert’s late-night talk show. The changes continued once the merger became official in August 2025.
Bari Weiss took over as Editor-in-Chief of the network’s news division. The Wall Street Journal reported that thousands of workers were laid off at Paramount, including CBS News staffers, after the merger. But the biggest change came when CBS Evening News co-anchors John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois resigned weeks apart. Their last broadcast was in December.
CBS promoted Tony Dokoupil from co-anchor of the morning show to the sole anchor of CBS Evening News. He made a short, unexpected debut over the weekend to cover the breaking news story that the United States had captured the leader of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and brought him to New York City to face drug trafficking charges.
But Tony Dokoupil’s official debut on CBS Evening News wasn’t until Monday, January 5, 2026. Despite his years of experience, the broadcast got off to a rocky start. He began the broadcast by discussing Tim Walz’s decision not to run for reelection for a third term as Governor of Minnesota. The former running mate of Kamala Harris has been under fire amid an investigation into daycare fraud in Minnesota.
But the images shown on the screen during Tony Dokoupil’s introduction were of Senator Mark Kelly. The Senator was recently censured by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a video in which the Senator reminded military personnel that they don’t have to follow illegal orders. The video received major backlash from the Trump administration.
Tony Dokoupil seemed flustered by the mix-up but quickly regained his composure and the rest of the broadcast went off without a hitch.
Tony Dokoupil’s CBS Evening News debut got off to a tough start … pic.twitter.com/X3IQ3HhZXb
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 6, 2026
Viewers Blast His ‘Dysfunctional’ Debut
“First Day, Big Problems Here,” Tony Dokoupil acknowledged during the broadcast. However, CBS Evening News viewers felt the screw up was much more serious than the anchor let on. Viewers took to social media to share their reaction to the “problems.”
- “CBS News is crumbling at a record rate under Bari Weiss.”
- “This happens when you create a new team without anyone who knows how to run a network news show.”
- “complete & utter incompetence on display during Bari Weiss & Tony Dokoupil’s first weekday, primetime broadcast.”
- “The inexperience of new CBS News chief Bari Weiss is on full display.”
- “What in the newsroom is this. From the set to the dysfunction”
Tony Dokoupil has his work cut out for him in redeeming himself. He was already blasted on social media for a weird address he made days before his official debut. The CBS News Anchor vowed changes to the broadcast, more transparency, and other promises. Viewers may eventually give him a chance, but for now, they’re wary. Tell us in the comments what you thought of his debut.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
