Tony Dokoupil made his debut arsenic CBS Evening News‘ imperishable anchor connected Saturday pinch an extended question and reply pinch Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“Great to beryllium pinch you tonight, 2 days earlier than expected, pinch that awesome breaking news, news that could style nan year, possibly moreover nan century,” Dokoupil said, arsenic he present a half hr devoted to nan U.S. penetration of Venezuela and its seizing of its leader, Nicolás Maduro.
The second half of nan programme was devoted to a unrecorded question and reply pinch Hegseth, identified arsenic nan “Secretary of Defense,” moreover though nan Trump management has rebranded nan Pentagon arsenic nan “Department of War.”
“Is it astir freedom, aliases is it astir oil? At nan property convention today, President Trump seemed to bespeak that some were a factor.”
Hegseth replied, “Freedom, security, prosperity. Of people what was done by Venezuela against American lipid interests and lipid companies is good understood and ne'er should person happened. And President Trump is consenting to recapture that. But it is besides nan information of our hemisphere.”
Hegseth’s beryllium down was a alternatively uncommon 1 pinch a mainstream news outlet, arsenic he has routinely criticized nan property since becoming Defense Secretary, and initiated caller restrictions that led to nan exit of overmuch of nan regular Pentagon property corps from nan complex.
Dokoupil invoked nan U.S. penetration of Iraq 20 years ago, which bogged nan U.S. down successful nan region for a decade. “Many of nan president’s ain supporters coming are wondering, really is this, this clip around, going to beryllium different, and really is it successful nan U.S. interest?”
Hegseth claimed that it was “the nonstop opposite.” “We spent decades and decades, purchased successful blood, and sewage thing economically successful return. President Trump flips nan script. He says, first done strategical action we tin guarantee that we person entree to further wealthiness and resources … without having nan walk American blood.
Dokoupil was to person first taken nan chair connected Monday, pinch a planned two-week circuit of American cities earlier returning to CBS studios successful New York.
But nan U.S. action successful Venezuela changed those plans. Dokoupol, who anchored from San Francisco connected Saturday, will broadcast from New York connected Monday and nan circuit will commencement later successful nan week, nan web said.