Trump Claims Dokoupil Owes CBS Job to Harris Election Loss
During an exclusive interview at a Ford plant in Detroit, President Donald Trump told CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil that his new anchor position exists only because Harris lost the 2024 election. Trump claimed Dokoupil would be unemployed had Harris won, suggesting Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison—whom Trump praised as "an amazing guy"—might lack the financial resources to hire him under a Democratic administration.
Trump repeatedly emphasized Dokoupil's salary during the exchange, stating "you wouldn't have this job, you wouldn't have this job, certainly whatever the hell they're paying you" if Harris had prevailed. The Skydance-Paramount merger, which enabled Dokoupil's hiring, was approved under the Trump administration. Dokoupil was named to replace the CBS Evening News anchor role last month under new network editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.
Dokoupil pushed back on Trump's assertion, stating he believed he would hold the anchor position regardless of election outcome. Trump countered by suggesting Dokoupil's salary would be substantially lower under a Harris presidency, implying financial constraints would limit compensation even if the position existed.
Trump used the interview to declare the country had transformed from "dead" under the previous administration to the world's "hottest" under his leadership. He framed Dokoupil's employment as direct evidence of his administration's success, linking the broadcaster's career advancement to his electoral victory and the resulting corporate merger approval.
Viktor Orbán's Hungary provides a troubling blueprint that some argue Republican operatives are actively implementing in the United States. Rather than direct state control, Orbán uses wealthy business allies to acquire independent media outlets, which are then consolidated under organizations like the Central European Press and Media Foundation (KESMA), effectively controlling approximately 80% of Hungary's media landscape. Key figures such as Lőrinc Mészáros, Miklós Vaszily, and Andy Vajna purchased major news outlets and donated them to create a unified, pro-government editorial voice. Critics contend that similar dynamics are now emerging in America, with Trump-aligned billionaires strategically acquiring major news organizations like CBS to shift editorial direction toward favorable coverage. This model replaces transparent state propaganda with the appearance of independent media while systematically silencing opposition voices, withdrawing advertising from critical outlets, and using government-friendly platforms to attack opponents. If this pattern continues unchecked in the U.S., observers warn it could fundamentally undermine democratic discourse by concentrating control over information in the hands of ideologically aligned wealthy elites, mirroring the erosion of press freedom witnessed in Orbán's Hungary.