Trump chides Tony Dokoupil during CBS interview, says anchor 'wouldn't have this job' if he lost 2024 election

President Donald Trump had some fun at the expense of CBS News anchor Tony Dokoupil, insisting he wouldn't be in the "CBS Evening News" chair if it weren't for him.

During an interview that aired on Tuesday's broadcast of "CBS Evening News," Dokoupil told Trump that "everyday Americans" he spoke with don't feel the benefits of the economy under his administration.

Trump pushed back, stressing that he has only been in office for 11 months and that he "inherited a mess."

"Tony, we now have the hottest country in the world. And a year-and-a-half ago, our country was dead. We had a dead country," Trump told Dokoupil. "You wouldn't have a job right now. If [Kamala Harris] got in, you probably wouldn't have a job right now."

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"Your boss, who's an amazing guy, might be bust, OK?" Trump said. "Let me just tell you — you wouldn't have this job. You wouldn't have this job — certainly whatever the hell they're paying you. Our country is rocketing right now. We have the hottest country in the world. If they got in, we'd be Venezuela on steroids."

Trump was referring to David Ellison, the new owner of CBS parent company Paramount and the son of billionaire Trump ally Larry Ellison.

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Moments later, as he began wrapping up the interview, Dokoupil offered a gentle rebuke.

"For the record, I do think I'd have this job even if the other guys won," Dokoupil told Trump.

"Yeah — but at a lesser salary," Trump jokingly fired back before the two shook hands.

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While Trump's comments were primarily focused on the economy, he was certainly a key figure in the current overhauling of CBS News. His lawsuit against the network and Paramount over its handling of the "60 Minutes" interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris loomed over Paramount's $8 billion planned merger with Ellison's Skydance Media. It was only after Paramount settled Trump's lawsuit that the FCC approved the corporate transaction.

After Ellison took over the company, he appointed Bari Weiss to be the new editor-in-chief of CBS News and acquired her outlet The Free Press for $150 million. Last month, Weiss tapped Dokoupil to be the new face of "CBS Evening News," hoping they can revive the perennial third place evening newscast.

Hillary Clinton expected to defy Epstein probe subpoena, risking criminal charges

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was subpoenaed to appear before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, but she's expected to ignore the order, potentially risking criminal charges.

Hillary Clinton is scheduled to be deposed behind closed doors at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, and it appears the GOP-led committee will move forward with holding the interview in some form regardless of whether she attends.

Hillary and Bill Clinton's lawyers sent a letter to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., earlier this week, calling their subpoenas "invalid and legally unenforceable."

But Comer previously threatened to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings against both Clintons if they skipped their January deposition dates, which were rescheduled twice prior, amid conversations with their attorneys.

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Bill Clinton defied his own subpoena on Tuesday, failing to appear for a 10 a.m. closed-door deposition. 

Comer told reporters afterward that the House Oversight Committee would meet next week to advance a contempt resolution against the former president in response.

When Fox News Digital asked if the same would happen to Hillary Clinton if she failed to appear the next day, Comer said, "We'll see. We'll talk about it."

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The former first couple were two of 10 people subpoenaed by Comer as part of the panel's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The subpoenas were issued following a bipartisan vote by an Oversight subcommittee panel during an unrelated hearing on illegal immigration.

Despite that, however, no Democrats appeared for Bill Clinton's expected grilling.

"Not a single Democrat showed up today, not a single Democrat," Comer told reporters. "It just seems like they only care about pushing Republicans. And we've had a former Trump Cabinet secretary, Alex Acosta, in for a grilling. We had Bill Barr, former attorney general, in for a grilling. But for whatever reason, President Clinton didn't show up. And the Democrats on the committee don't seem to have a problem."

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The Clintons' attorneys criticized Comer's leadership of the investigation in their letter, discounting the subpoenas.

"President and Secretary Clinton have already provided the limited information they possess about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to the Committee," the lawyers said.

"Your continued insistence that the former President and Secretary of State can be compelled to appear before the Committee under these circumstances, however, brings us toward a protracted and unnecessary legal confrontation that distracts from the principal work of the Congress with respect to this matter, which, if conducted sincerely, could help ensure the victims of Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell are afforded some measure of justice for the crimes perpetrated against them, however late. But perhaps distraction is the point."

Comer said after Bill Clinton skipped his deposition, "No one's accusing Bill Clinton of any wrongdoing. We just have questions. And that's why the Democrats voted, along with Republicans, to subpoena Bill Clinton."

The House Oversight Committee would need to advance a contempt resolution before it's considered by the entire chamber. If a simple majority votes to hold someone in contempt of Congress, a criminal referral is then traditionally made to the Department of Justice.

A criminal contempt of Congress charge is a misdemeanor that carries a punishment of up to one year in jail and a maximum $100,000 fine, if convicted.

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