Hakeem Jeffries put “CBS Evening News” on blast following Bari Weiss’ takeover and Tony Dokoupil’s appointment as anchor, comparing the news program to the conservative LindellTV.
The House Democratic leader issued his criticism during a Tuesday appearance on “The Jim Acosta Show,” where he admitted he was “confused” by the broadcaster’s both sides stance regarding the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, which was given during the fifth anniversary of the riot.
After Acosta suggested that “the Trump propaganda machine” had gotten bigger thanks to the leadership changes at CBS News, Jeffries relayed he was genuinely surprised by the Jan. 6 anniversary coverage on “CBS Evening News.”
“When I first saw the clip, I was confused,” Rep. Jeffries (D-NY) recalled. “I said, ‘Wait is this LindellTV? Is this Newsmax? Fox News? What’s going on?’ It turned out to be CBS. It was extraordinary.”
LindellTV, Newsmax and Fox News are all widely considered conservative outlets, with the former being run by Trump loyalist Mike Lindell.
As Jeffries continued, the congressman stated the news program has “rightfully” faced backlash for the “both sides” take.
“This is one of the reasons why we dedicated the entire day of January 6, the fifth anniversary, to show our support and appreciation for the Capitol Police, the members of the D.C. Police Department, all of the law enforcement officers who valiantly and bravely defended the Capitol, Congress, the country and the Constitution on that extraordinary day,” he added. “And to highlight the fact that Donald Trump has pardoned hundreds of violent felons. That was on his first day, which is extraordinary.”
Watch his comments below.
Jeffries’ remarks come amid a wave of criticism for “CBS Evening News,” which has seen new anchor Dokoupil dragged online for presenting “both sides” for not only the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack, but the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good by an ICE agent. He’s also already interviewed key members of the administration, including President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
However, Dokoupil appeared to laugh off the criticism on Friday, thanking his critics for their “notes” while struggling to bury a chuckle during his sign off.
“CBS Evening News” airs weeknights at 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
