Tony Dokoupil’s first week as “CBS Evening News” anchor under Bari Weiss continued to raise eyebrows during the new host’s Tuesday half-hour. The show was broadcast from Miami, Florida as part of Dokoupil’s “Live from America Tour” celebrating his first week in office. Dokoupil, who grew up in Miami for a time as a child, fought back tears when asked in a companion interview with CBS Miami why the city is his favorite place in the world.
“It’s emotional and very funny,” Dokoupil said while wiping away tears, before calming down and saying, “Please let me take a moment here.”
“To help people understand why I react the way I do…Florida is where I grew up,” he continued, fighting back tears. “My grandmother, my father, my mother, my aunts and uncles, my cousins are here. It’s where I would have spent my childhood. But we left because my father got into trouble with his business. We laugh about it now, but he was a drug dealer and went to prison. The reason it’s so emotional for me is because I feel like I was robbed of my entire experience in Miami.”
During the official broadcast, Mr. Dokoupil once again drew attention as he paid tribute to the Secretary of State and Mr. Marco Rubio from the city of Miami. The host acknowledged Rubio’s “many lives and many jobs,” from being the face of U.S. foreign policy to “his role as interim national security adviser.”
“No matter what you think about his politics, you have to admit that this is an impressive resume,” Dokoupil said, before pointing out how AI memes have helped Rubio land other jobs, including prime minister of Greenland, president of Hilton Hotels and Michelin Man.
Dokoupil concluded with a salute to Rubio: “Back in the real world, these memes may not mean much, of course, but to Rubio’s many hometown fans here in Miami, they are a sign of how Florida, once America’s punchline, has become a leader on the world stage. Marco Rubio, we salute you. You are the ultimate Floridian.”
Early in Dokoupil’s debut week, he struggled to read the teleprompter during an on-air gaffe and was confused about which corner to present. Dokoupil will next head to Dallas, Texas for the Wednesday broadcast of “CBS Evening News” as part of his “Live From America Tour.”
