In a fiery segment on her podcast this week, commentator Megyn Kelly took aim at the new leadership and on-air style of CBS News, specifically targeting anchor Tony Dokoupil and the network's controversial editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss.
Kelly's "T'Oprah" Nickname and Critique of Emotional Delivery
The controversy ignited on Wednesday's episode of The Megyn Kelly Show. Kelly focused her criticism on Tony Dokoupil, the recently appointed anchor of the CBS Evening News. She derisively nicknamed him "T'Oprah" Dokoupil, linking him to Oprah Winfrey due to what Kelly perceives as his tendency to "cry and constantly try to therapize us through the news."
This critique follows an incident last week where Dokoupil became emotional during a news segment about his love for Miami. He explained that his feelings were tied to a lost childhood in South Florida, which his family left due to his father's work as a drug dealer. Kelly played a clip from a recent broadcast where Dokoupil, following an interview with former President Donald Trump, told viewers, "You may not agree with everything you hear on this broadcast. But we trust you to listen, and we trust you to decide for yourself."
"Oh my god, the patronization," Kelly responded. She compared him to Saturday Night Live's self-help parody character Stuart Smalley, saying Dokoupil gives off vibes of "'We're good enough, we're smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like us.'" Kelly asserted she cannot get over how he "continues to patronize the audience."
Broadening the Attack to Bari Weiss and Gender Norms
Kelly then expanded her criticism to include Bari Weiss, the new editor-in-chief at CBS News who selected Dokoupil for the anchor role. Kelly made pointed comments about Weiss's personal life and suggested it influenced her professional decisions.
"I've figured it out. Bari is an out lesbian, and she's in a marriage to another woman, and they have kids, and so on," Kelly said. "This is a lesbian's idea of what women want. Like, 'He's sweet, he's soft, this is what... this is going to sell.'"
She doubled down by expressing a preference for traditional gender roles. "No, no, no! We want someone with balls, with a spine, someone who will protect us," Kelly stated. She described an ideal "first defender"—a role her husband fills—and explicitly said Tony 'T'Oprah' Dokoupil is not that.
The Fallout and Flimsy Foundations
While there are legitimate debates to be had about the direction of legacy newsrooms under figures like Weiss and Dokoupil, Kelly's analysis leaned heavily on personal attacks and stereotypes. Her reasoning, largely based on subjective "vibes," was as unconvincing as her attempt at crafting a memorable nickname for the CBS anchor.
The incident highlights ongoing tensions in media about presentation, authenticity, and the evolving expectations for news anchors in a polarized landscape. Kelly's comments have certainly stirred conversation, even if the foundation of her critique appears notably thin.
