Overview
- CBS devoted roughly the first 14 minutes of its Detroit broadcast to Tony Dokoupil’s interview with President Trump from a Ford plant, airing it without breaks or apparent edits on topics including Iran’s protests, the economy, Jerome Powell and the Minneapolis ICE shooting.
- During the exchange, Trump told Dokoupil he “wouldn’t have a job” if Kamala Harris had won in 2024; the anchor pushed back at the end of the interview and Trump quipped he might then earn a lower salary.
- The interview’s tone and format prompted swift criticism from some viewers and media commentators, who faulted limited pushback as the noisy factory setting and frequent interruptions complicated the questioning.
- Nielsen data show the newscast averaged about 4.17 million viewers in Dokoupil’s first week, down roughly 23% from a year earlier, while CBS says YouTube minutes for the program rose 58% versus 2025 weekly averages.
- The high-profile booking arrived as reports tied Dokoupil’s Jan. 5 teleprompter flub to last-minute script edits by editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, whose overhaul features a “Live From America” tour and a contested decision to hold a 60 Minutes segment.