Tony Dokoupil is sent to Taiwan after the delay in securing a China visa for the Trump visit: ‘very sloppy’

CBS News Anchor in Taiwan Due to Visa Blunder

This week, “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil is broadcasting from Taipei, Taiwan. This change came after CBS couldn’t secure a visa for President Trump to visit Beijing for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a mistake some sources described as “very sloppy” and “stupid.”

Due to this oversight, CBS News found itself in a bit of a frenzy trying to get Dokoupil to Beijing, where other anchors, like Tom Lamas from NBC News and David Muir from ABC News, were already set to report.

Bari Weiss, the Editor-in-Chief at CBS News, attempted to arrange for Dokoupil to head to Beijing when she learned Muir would be there. Unfortunately, it was “too late” for a press visa, according to someone familiar with the situation, leading to the decision for him to cover the news from Taiwan instead.

CBS News chose not to comment directly on the situation. However, they mentioned in a previous statement that, given increasing geopolitical tensions between China and Taiwan, Taiwan is a focal point for important discussions. Dokoupil aims to shed light on these stakes and their significance for Americans.

Weijia Jiang and Anna Koren from CBS joined the White House press corps for Trump’s trip, which has become the routine.

Officials explained that Dokoupil’s assignment in Taipei is somewhat of an “investigative” effort to rejuvenate the network’s dwindling Evening News ratings.

One official remarked, “This is probably the stupidest decision in the history of news broadcasting,” pointing out that the Chinese government would likely be outraged by an anchor being stationed in Taiwan, given its claim over the territory.

They further commented, “Not only is this situation foolish, it’s like waving a red flag at a bull to the Chinese. It’s very sloppy. This trip has been planned for months; it seems like there’s no adult in charge.”

The Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., did not respond to requests for comments.

Notably, Taiwan’s government views itself as a sovereign entity, while China disputes this claim. Decades ago, the U.S. officially severed ties with Taiwan, yet presidents have asserted their commitment to defend Taiwan’s self-governing democracy, according to the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979.

Pending U.S. arms sales to Taiwan are also expected to come up during President Trump’s three-day high-stakes visit, alongside discussions on trade and technology.

Dokoupil’s troubles don’t end with the visa issue. In January, Weiss had removed him from his co-host role on “CBS Morning,” switching him to the “Evening News” slot.

Since that change, Dokoupil has faced challenges finding his footing, making a few blunders in his broadcasts and struggling to establish a strong presence in news and corporate coverage.

Ratings have been a constant concern, dipping below 4 million viewers since mid-March.

During the week of May 4, CBS reported an average of 3.7 million viewers, with 473,000 in the key demographic of 25-54 years. Comparatively, ABC’s Muir attracted 8.2 million total viewers, while NBC’s Rama brought in 6.1 million viewers in the same week.