CBS News’ new primetime anchor Tony Dokoupil faced a series of technical and editorial mishaps during his first official night hosting the network’s flagship evening broadcast, prompting critical reactions across social media.
Dokoupil, 45, officially took over the anchor desk Monday evening with high expectations to help revive CBS Evening News. However, the debut was marred by multiple on-air slip-ups — from misidentified stories and jumbled transitions to factual errors and confusion with the control room — all of which played out live.
After opening with a segment on the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Dokoupil appeared to stumble during a transition to domestic news. He struggled to introduce stories on Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, mistakenly introducing Walz while Kelly’s photo appeared on screen.
“No, we’re gonna do Mark Kelly,” Dokoupil corrected himself, visibly frustrated. Moments later, he turned to the production team and asked, “Are we going to Kelly here? Or are we going to go into Jonah Kaplan?” — creating an extended pause in the broadcast.
Once the show moved on, the anchor added to the confusion by mislabeling Minnesota as the “Great Lakes state,” a title commonly associated with Michigan. Minnesota is widely known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.”
Viewers were quick to react online, describing the debut as a “train wreck” and taking aim at both Dokoupil and newly appointed CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, who was reportedly behind the anchor’s selection.
Welcome to the resistance, teleprompter person. pic.twitter.com/nbOkrKWbpn
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) January 6, 2026
“Bari Weiss’ anchor melted down on the air, something you just don’t see on network newscasts,” one viewer posted. Others questioned the network’s editorial direction under Weiss and media investor Larry Ellison, who has been linked to recent changes at CBS News.
In the days leading up to his debut, Dokoupil released a “get to know me” video that stirred further controversy. In it, he criticized the media for “taking into account the perspective of advocates and not the average American,” while pledging to focus less on “academics or elites.”
Critics interpreted the comments as dismissive, while others suggested they signaled a shift in CBS News’ editorial tone under its new leadership.
Dokoupil replaced seasoned CBS anchors Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson, both of whom had led CBS Evening News during a challenging ratings period. Their exit has already generated concern among some longtime viewers, who now worry about the direction of the program.
Multiple users on Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) expressed disappointment with the handover, with one writing, “RIP CBS News.” Another added: “If you’re doing the right thing, you don’t need to announce it. The work speaks for itself.”
As of now, CBS has not released an official statement regarding the on-air mishaps, but the network is likely to face ongoing scrutiny as Dokoupil and the production team attempt to regain viewer confidence.
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