‘First day, big problems here’: Tony Dokoupil runs into some issues during his relaunch of ‘CBS Evening News’

It was the latest embarrassment for a renowned news network still struggling to adapt to its controversial takeover by Trump-friendly new owners and their hand-picked editor-in-chief Bari Weiss

In a less than auspicious start for Bari Weiss' big relaunch, new CBS Evening News frontman Tony Dokoupil ran into some technical glitches on his maiden voyage Monday night.

In his first regular broadcast after heading up a special bulletin on Venezuela over the weekend, Dokoupil had to contend with 21 seconds of confusion and silence while he waited to be told what his next item would be.

"All right, to other news... to other news, now," Dokoupil repeated, having just finished up an item on the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. special forces.

"Uh, to Governor [Tim] Walz! No, we're gonna do Mark Kelly," he went on. Then he smiled, shaking his head apologetically, and admitted: "First day, first day, big problems here.

Dokoupil then quizzed his producers while images of Kelly, the Arizona Democrat being targeted by the Trump administration, flashed insistently on screen. "Are we going to Kelly here, or are we gonna go to [Minnesota correspondent] Jonah Kaplan?"

Four seconds of silence followed, disturbed only by the faint sound of shuffling papers and a montage of Kelly's face. Finally Dokoupil declared: "We're doing Mark Kelly! Possibly demoted from his retired rank of captain in the Navy..."

Tony Dokoupil smiles apologetically as he navigates the production glitch (CBS Evening News via YouTube)

It is the latest embarrassment for a renowned news network still struggling to adapt to its controversial takeover by Trump-friendly new owners, who appointed the relatively experienced anti-woke writer Bari Weiss as editor in chief.

The Independent reported last week that Weiss was chartering a private plane to fly Dokoupil and his team across the country on a (now postponed) 10-city "Live From America" tour, including a five-person security detail for herself.

Insiders accused Evening News executive producer Kim Harvey of being "a yes person" who was "drinking the Bari Kool-Aid", saying that "morale is really bad" and that it "feels like the end of CBS Evening News".

The program's staff had already come close to "revolt" just before Christmas when Weiss spiked a 13-minute 60 Minutes investigative story on allegations of torture and human rights abuses in the notoriously brutal El Salvador prison where the Trump administration sent hundreds of Venezuelan migrants last year.

In memos, Weiss reportedly argued that the item did not adequately represent the perspective of the Trump administration, which had refused to comment. CBS journalist Sharyn Alfonsi shot back that officials' silence was "a tactical maneuver designed to kill the story" and that doing so only played into their hands.

On Saturday evening, Dokoupil's debut was moved up in light of the news from Venezuela, leading to a long interview with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth which one critic described as "unchallenging" and close to a "press release."

Dokoupil continued in that vein Monday evening, claiming that Maduro's removal could deprive "Russia, China, and Iran" of "a base of power and influence in the hemisphere."

Reaction to the ensuing glitch was less than enthusiastic. "Complete and utter incompetence on display... great job, Bari! hope the money was worth the humiliation!" said journalist Peter Rothpletz on X.

"Tony Dokoupil struggled today. It made me think of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ quote: 'Was silence not an option?" said one user on Threads.

Others were kinder. "Honestly not bad for the first night," said veteran broadcaster John Cremeans. "Advice: Tony Dokoupil, never, no matter how stressful it can be, demean and talk negatively to your crew. They probably were just as nervous as you about getting it right."

"Uh oh. First day gremlins on CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil," commented Curtis Houck of the conservative media watchdog Newsbusters. "For the record, I thought Tony rolled with it quite well... it happens a few times a year."

Saturday's broadcast led to the postponement of Weiss's planned multi-city tour, which Dokoupil chalked up to the usual chaos of world news.

After Saturday's broadcast, CBS's national legal correspondent Jan Crawford told her followers on X: "I understand your skepticism and anger. I agree. We have to be better, and we are going to do our best to prove we can be.

"Please tune in again tomorrow night, and let me know what you think in the days and months ahead as we strive to get it right."