Trump says CBS anchor Tony Dokoupil ‘wouldn’t have a job’ if Kamala Harris had won the election

The moment occurred during an awkward on-air interview this week.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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January 14, 2026 3:13 p.m. ET

President Donald Trump; Tony Dokoupil. Credit:

Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty; Michael Tessier/CBS

Donald Trump is convinced that CBS anchor Tony Dokoupil would have a very different career if Kamala Harris had won the 2024 presidential election.

The president joined the *CBS Evening News *anchor for a brief conversation at a Ford factory in Dearborn, Mich., on Tuesday, in which they discussed everything from the protests in Iran to the state of the U.S. economy. But at one point Trump derailed the interview to insist that Dokoupil likely wouldn't be helming the news show if not for his big victory.

"Tony, we have now the hottest country in the world. A year and a half ago, our country was dead," Trump told the anchor, referring to his predecessor Joe Biden's presidency. "We had a dead country. You wouldn't have a job right now."

"If she got in, you probably wouldn't have a job right now," he reiterated. "Your boss, who's an amazing guy, might be bust, okay?"

Tony Dokoupil interviews President Donald Trump at a Ford factory in Dearborn, Mich., on 'CBS Evening News'.

Dokoupil, who seemed confused by the president's remarks, asked him to clarify.

"That's how bad — might be bust," the president continued. "I doubt it in his case, but you never know. Let me just tell you, you wouldn't have this job. You wouldn't have this job, certainly whatever the hell they're paying you."

Trump's words alluded to Larry Ellison, a friend of the president and one of the world's richest people, whose family now controls CBS after acquiring its parent company, Paramount Global, last year.

Since taking possession of the network, the Ellison family has gotten flack for implementing sweeping changes, including hiring controversial former *New York Times* journalist Bari Weiss to overhaul CBS News. Weiss, who was named editor-in-chief in October 2025 despite having no broadcast experience, has since faced criticism accusing her of deference to the Trump administration. Amid several programming changes, Weiss tapped Dokoupil to step up as a new anchor for *CBS Evening News*.

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Towards the end of his Tuesday conversation with Trump, Dokoupil pushed back on the president's claims, responding, "For the record, I do think I'd have this job even if the other guys won."

Trump retorted, "Yeah, but at a lesser salary."

Dokoupil's interview with the president comes amid his travels across the U.S., where he has been visiting major cities in his first month as the *CBS Evening News *anchor. Dokoupil has had a rocky start in his new position, including having an on-air flub during his very first broadcast.

Hanging over Dokoupil's appointment is Trump's complicated history with CBS. Last year, Paramount Global agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit with Trump over the editing of a *60 Minutes* interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. The outcome of the legal dispute has sparked concerns about the precedent Paramount has set for media companies giving in to the demands of the president.

Tony Dokoupil reporting on 'CBS Evening News'.

Michael Tessier/CBS

Another concerning development soon followed. A month before the Paramount-Skydance merger took place, the *Late Show *franchise was canceled after 33 years on the air. Its host, Stephen Colbert, has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration. Though CBS insisted that the cancellation was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," skeptics have blasted the move as a conciliatory effort at appeasing Trump's FCC in the midst of the merger.

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Such criticisms were clearly on Dokoupil's mind before he signed on to his new role. In his recent New Year's Day message at the start of *Evening News*, the anchor asked its audience to hold him and the legendary CBS show to high journalistic standards.

"Today and every time you see me in this chair: You come first," Dokoupil said. "Not advertisers. Not politicians. Not corporate interests. And yes, that does include the corporate owners of CBS. I report for you."**

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