EXCLUSIVE: CBS News 'Savior' Tony Dokoupil's Job 'Already At Risk' After 'Disastrous' Start to Evening News Helm
Tony Dokoupil had a debut to forget on CBS this week.
Jan. 8 2026, Published 7:30 p.m. ET
After a disastrous debut and miserable ratings, RadarOnline.com has learned new CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil is already on the hot seat.
After utter confusion at the start of his first broadcast, all he could do was shake his head.
Dokoupil was handpicked to be the network's savior by new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, who herself was hired by MAGA-friendly David Ellis to bring an "anti-woke" approach to the struggling newscast.
It didn't work.
The new anchor got off to a rough start on Monday, January 5, after suffering an on-air meltdown during a confusing night-one broadcast. Tuesday saw a strong negative reaction to what many deemed a "fluff piece" on Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The new guy was slammed on social media after both broadcasts, with sources saying Dokoupil is nothing more than a shill for Weiss and her agenda.
"It's hard to come from a place of authority when everyone, including you, knows you are just 'Bari's b----'," one industry insider told Radar. "Curious to see how much longer the Ellisons will tolerate this utter defenestration of CBS News before they step in."
Ratings Hit Hard
Day two for new CBS anchor Dokoupil was met with more criticism.
At least not that many people saw the gaffes – but that's not exactly a good thing.
Ratings for Dokoupil's Monday debut were significantly down across major advertising demographics. According to Nielsen data obtained by Radar, viewership was down 22 percent compared with the same day last year.
The numbers get worse when compared with other splashy anchor debuts on the Tiffany network – down 17 percent from the start of duo Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson, whom Dokoupil replaced; down 20 percent from Norah O’Donnell before them; and down a whopping 67 percent from Katie Couric's premiere in 2006.
One insider blasted the newscasts and the mistakes.
"Talk about amateur hour – CBS couldn’t even get through a 30-minute show without massive errors," the source shared. "And this guy is delusional enough to throw shade at Walter Cronkite?"
Nightmare on Night One
Dokoupil replaced the long-time duo of Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson.
The wheels came off almost immediately for Dokoupil, who had a visible meltdown during his first official broadcast.
After opening the broadcast with the latest on the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Dokoupil found himself making news when he became confused about which story to cover next: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's announcement that he would not seek reelection or Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's censure of Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.
The 45-year-old tried to stammer through a segue.
"To other news, as you just heard from Jill... to other news now, to Gov. Walz," he said as Kelly's photo appeared over his shoulder. "No, we're gonna do Mark Kelly."
That was followed by an awkwardly long silence before the CBS crew finally settled on the Kelly story.
As video of Kelly started to run, a clearly confused Dokoupil shook his head and smirked, before melting down: "First day, big problems here."
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Oh No, Rubio
Dokoupil promised news for the 'average American' before taking the anchor chair.
Just a day later, Dokoupil, reporting remotely from Miami, his one-time hometown, ended his broadcast with a glorified salute to former Florida senator and current Secretary of State Rubio.
"Whatever you think of his politics, you've got to admit it's an impressive résumé," Dokoupil told viewers.
He then shared a collection of supposed-to-be comical AI memes that placed a cutout of Rubio in other roles, such as the prime minister of Greenland, the head of Hilton Hotels, the new manager of Manchester United, and, finally, as the new Michelin man.
Dokoupil wrapped up the broadcast gushing: "These memes may not add up to much, but for Rubio’s hometown fans, which are many around here in Miami, it's a sign of how Florida, once an American punchline, has become a leader on the world stage.
"Marco Rubio, we salute you. You’re the ultimate Florida man."
