Trump to CBS News’ Tony Dokoupil: I’m the purpose you might have a job!

President Trump bluntly told Tony Dokoupil of “CBS Evening News” he owes his new job — and his paycheck — to Trump’s 2024 election victory, making the assertion straight to the news anchor’s face during a live interview.

The remarks got here during an exclusive sit-down Tuesday at a Ford plant in Detroit, the place the president linked Dokoupil’s latest promotion to the Trump-era approval of the Paramount-Skydance merger and appeared to take a dismissive tone about the anchor’s compensation.

Asked about the general economic system, Trump took a extremely private method with Dokoupil, whose hiccups since taking the anchor gig have generated a regular stream of headlines.

President Trump touted his dealing with of the economic system during an interview with “CBS Evening News” on Tuesday. CBS Evening News

Trump bluntly told new “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil that he owes his job — and his paycheck — to Kamala Harris dropping the 2024 election. CBS News

The Republican president said the anchor “wouldn’t have a job right now” if Democrat Kamala Harris had received the 2024 election.

“Tony, we have now the hottest country in the world, and a year and a half ago, our country was dead. We had a dead country. You wouldn’t have a job right now. If she got in, you probably wouldn’t have a job right now,” Trump riffed.

He then appeared to allude to Paramount-Skydance CEO David Ellison, who acquired CBS News in a merger that the Trump administration authorised last summer season.

“Your boss, who’s an amazing guy, might be bust, okay?” Trump asserted.

“Might be what?” the anchor requested.

“Tony, we have now the hottest country in the world, and a year and a half ago, our country was dead,” Trump told Dokoupil. CBS Evening News

“Might be bust,” the president said. “I doubt it in his case, but you never know. Let me just tell you, you wouldn’t have this job, you wouldn’t have this job — certainly whatever the hell they’re paying you.”

Dokoupil sought to push back later in the interview — only for the president to needle him one more time over his wage.

“For the record, I do think I’d have this job if the other guys won,” the anchor said — to which Trump shortly shot back, “Yeah, but at a lesser salary.”

The Post has sought remark from CBS News and Paramount Skydance.

In late 2024, Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS over a “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Harris, accusing the network of deceptively modifying the phase to intervene in the election.

Paramount Global, CBS’s guardian company at the time, initially vowed to fight the go well with however reversed course after the election, settling the case in July for $16 million.

The payout drew sharp criticism inside the newsroom and sparked resignations from CBS News president and CEO Wendy McMahon and “60 Minutes” govt producer Bill Owens.

Weeks later, the Federal Communications Commission authorised the long-pending merger between Paramount and Skydance Media, a deal valued at roughly $8 billion that positioned control of CBS and its news division in Ellison’s hands.

Dokoupil, the former “CBS Mornings” co-host, was elevated to the “CBS Evening News” anchor chair by not too long ago put in editor in chief Bari Weiss. Getty Images for The Free Press

Trump defeated then-Vice President Kamala Harris and her operating mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, in November 2024. Getty Images

He shortly moved to reshape the network’s management, appointing Bari Weiss to the newly created position of editor in chief of CBS News in October, signaling a major shift in editorial route and ruffling feathers among the rank and file.

Weiss soon asserted hands-on control, intervening in coverage selections and launching a broad overhaul of the network’s flagship broadcasts, including “CBS Evening News,” which had struggled in phrases of scores under its earlier co-anchor format.

In December, Weiss elevated Dokoupil — a “CBS Mornings” co-host since 2019 — to the night anchor chair, a promotion that put him at the middle of the network’s transformation.

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