Tony Dokoupil’s Road Trip on CBS News Hits a Rough Patch

Tony Dokoupil’s opening act as the anchor of “The CBS Evening News” has taken him on tour across America, hosting from a new city each night. The scenery has been lovely — the Golden Gate Bridge, Denver’s Union Station — and he has talked to notable people along the way. On Tuesday he interviewed President Trump at a Ford plant just outside Detroit. But the road has been rough.

A series of glitches and editorial choices have showed the weaknesses in Dokoupil’s readiness and his newscast’s philosophy. But he could perhaps take heart in one thing: At least people were paying attention.

After all, that anybody is scrutinizing a new nightly news anchor at all in the year 2026 is a minor miracle. (Yes, millions of people still watch evening newscasts, but how much chatter did you hear about Tom Llamas taking over at NBC?)

The rise of Dokoupil, a mildly affable presence with Clark Kent-ish looks, was notable less because of his star wattage than because of his bosses’ entanglements.