Overview
- Tony Dokoupil’s sit-down with President Trump aired as the first roughly 14 minutes of CBS Evening News without ads or apparent edits from a Ford plant in Dearborn, with the broadcast anchored from GM’s Detroit headquarters as part of the “Live From America” tour.
- Trump warned of “very strong action” if Iran executes protesters, called Jerome Powell “either corrupt or incompetent,” defended the ICE agent who killed Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, and declared the U.S. economy the strongest in history.
- In a pointed exchange, Trump told Dokoupil he “wouldn’t have a job” if the 2024 race had gone the other way, a remark the anchor later rejected before Trump quipped he’d be earning a lower salary.
- Viewer and media reactions skewed negative, faulting the interview for limited pushback and for consuming most of the newscast, even as CBS touted digital gains from earlier segments in the relaunch.
- Dokoupil’s first official week averaged 4.17 million viewers, down about 23% year over year, as internal scrutiny of Weiss’ editorial direction persists following moves like the holding of a 60 Minutes deportation piece.