Mockery abounded on Monday night after the new favorite CBS News anchor of some MAGA fans stumbled during a live broadcast.
Tony Dokoupil, the new host of CBS Evening News, completely fumbled a transition between segments on Monday night, mixing up a story about Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ). He also steamrolled a health care expert during an interview.
These sorts of mix-ups are common in live television settings. However, observers were quick to note that it occurred at a time when the network was still settling into the installation of Bari Weiss, a Trump-aligned former opinion columnist who was named Editor-in-Chief in October 2025.
"First day, big problems here," Dokoupil said during the broadcast.
Political analysts and observers roundly mocked the flub on social media.
"Complete [and] utter incompetence on display during Bari Weiss & Tony Dokoupil’s first weekday, primetime broadcast," writer Peter Rothpletz posted on X. "Reminder: Dokoupil vowed to be superior to **Walter Cronkite** over the weekend. Great job, Bari! Hope the money was worth the humiliation!"
"Uh oh. First day gremlins on the CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil," Chris Houck, managing editor at NewsBusters, posted on X.
"Holy s---! Did you see this? This happened ON AIR," author Don Winslow posted on X.
Weiss hired Dokoupil to anchor "CBS Evening News" in December 2025, a show once hosted by the venerated broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite.
He endeared himself to the MAGA movement shortly afterward when he posted an article for CBS News arguing that the news should focus more on "average Americans."
"The point is that on too many stories, the press missed the story," Dokoupil wrote. "Because we've taken into account the perspective of advocates and not the average American. Or we put too much weight in the analysis of academics or elites, and not enough on you."
The article was celebrated and shared by several MAGA-aligned media figures.
CBS’ new guy. I think we’re good here. pic.twitter.com/EIssvBwrzM
— Boston Radio Watch®️ (@bostonradio) January 5, 2026
