Trump brutally mocks Tony Dokoupils salary in CBS | TV Shows

Donald Trump brutally mocked Tony Dokoupil’s news anchor salary during a live interview for CBS Evening News. 

CBS held an exclusive 13-minute interview with the president on January 13, in which Tony Dokoupil spoke to Trump about key home and overseas coverage points while at a car manufacturing facility in Detroit, Michigan.

During the interview, Trump claimed that the United States has the “strongest economy” in its historical past and said “there’s no inflation,” despite December 2025 studies exhibiting a 2.7% annual rise. However, when Dokoupil tried to query him on that, the 79-year-old merely said he’d “inherited a mess.”

They also mentioned the Federal Reserve, with Trump closely criticizing Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, calling him a “lousy Fed chairman” who is “either corrupt or incompetent” for protecting rates of interest too high.

Additionally, Trump and Dokoupil delved into the president’s feedback that only his morality would restrict his energy. Trump said he believes he’s a “moral person” and expressed that he would not like to see death on either facet of the conflicts confronted by the US.

However, there was one second during the interview that actually obtained people speaking, and that was when Trump talked about Dokoupil’s salary.

A few minutes into their chat, Trump told Dokoupil that he would not have a job if Kamala Harris received the 2024 election.

“If she got in, you probably wouldn’t have a job right now. Your boss, who’s an amazing guy, might be bust,” the convicted felon said in reference to Paramount CEO David Ellison. “You wouldn’t have this job—certainly whatever the hell they’re paying you.”

Dokoupil did not reply to the remark at the time, but at the end of the interview, he used his last few seconds to convey up Trump’s earlier comment.

“For the record, I do think I’d have this job even if the other guys won,” Dokoupil said lightheartedly, as the president replied, “Yeah, but at a lesser salary.”

CBS viewers took to social media to share their ideas on Trump’s feedback, as one particular person wrote on X, “He’s basically saying ‘ouch, that was too tough a question. You know I own you and your zombie network, right?'”

A second particular person then added, “Whoops, probably not supposed to say that out loud, I thought we were supposed to pretend he got the job because he’s a good journalist,” while a third particular person chimed in to say, “Hahahahahahah wow. Buddy got his feelings hurt.”

“If that doesn’t say ‘don’t bite the hand that feeds you,’ nothing does. Go back to morning chat shows, dude, where YOU can insult guests instead of being insulted by them,” remarked a fourth X person.

Others have been in full settlement with Trump’s feedback, as one particular person wrote, “I mean…he isn’t wrong in this regard,” and another a second commented, “That last part is true. He wouldn’t have a job.”

However, Dokoupil appeared to discover the scenario humorous, as when the interview phase ended, the screen returned to him in the studio, where he could possibly be seen laughing.