“CBS Night Information” anchor Tony Dokoupil on Tuesday adopted his awkward debut on the job with a fawning phase on one of the crucial highly effective individuals within the U.S. authorities, delivering what social media critics are calling a “pathetic” piece of “propaganda.”
Dokoupil, who was handpicked for the position by CBS Information’ controversial editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, a former right-leaning opinion columnist, concluded this system Tuesday by praising the “many lives and many roles” of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“No matter you consider his politics, you’ve bought to confess: It’s a formidable résumé,” he mentioned.
Dokoupil was broadcasting from Rubio’s hometown of Miami, Florida, lauding his profession as successful story that might occur “solely in America” — earlier than itemizing his positions as secretary of state, interim nationwide safety adviser and performing Nationwide Archivist and USAID chief.
He then launched right into a montage of synthetic intelligence-generated memes.
“And now, AI memes have added to that portfolio,” mentioned Dokoupil, “casting Secretary Rubio as the brand new governor of Minnesota, the brand new shah of Iran, the prime minister of Greenland, the brand new supervisor of Manchester United, the brand new head of Hilton Inns and — highest of excessive honors of all — the brand new Michelin Man.”
Then got here the clincher: “Marco Rubio, we salute you. You’re the final Florida man.”
Dokoupil was torn to shreds by flabbergasted critics on social media, as such segments are usually reserved for entertainers — and Rubio, as secretary of state, is the highest-ranking Cupboard member and third-highest official within the government department.
The phase was revealed on the official CBS Night Information account on X to brutal reactions. One person shared a clip of Dokoupil’s “disgraceful” phase on Tuesday, wherein he “each sides-ed” a report on the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots.
Others had been targeted on the tonal shift within the community after Weiss took over CBS Information.
“Full blown propaganda state television at this level. My God! How far you might have fallen. Disgusting,” wrote one person on X, with one other individual commenting: “You’re a journalist ‘saluting’ a politician? This isn’t ‘truthful and balanced’ that is groveling propaganda.”
Rubio is a much more critical determine than the CBS phase urged. He defended U.S. strikes on Iran final 12 months and mentioned it was “irrelevant” whether or not U.S. intelligence had proven that the nation was constructing nuclear weapons, and, as Dokoupil mentioned Tuesday, is Trump’s “level man” on the continuing battle with Venezuela.
The phase adopted Dokoupil’s disastrous debut Monday, wherein technical errors behind the scenes led to seen confusion on the air. Whereas the snafu can nonetheless be seen on social media, CBS Information appeared to have edited round it earlier than publishing the phase on YouTube.
CBS Information beforehand got here underneath hearth after Weiss pulled a “60 Minutes” episode about an El Salvadorian jail, claiming it wasn’t “prepared. Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi, who reported the piece, mentioned it had been vetted and was “factually right,” per a number of information retailers.
Alfonsi additionally mentioned Weiss pulling the episode wasn’t an editorial choice — however “a political one.”