CBS News anchor Norah O'Donnell is pushing back on liberal critics of her boss, editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, urging them to give 'CBS Mornings' a chance as she prepares to return to the network's flagship morning show. In response to critical comments on an Instagram post announcing her return, O'Donnell wrote, 'This is so silly. Just watch our show!' and 'Thanks for commenting. Give us a try.'
O'Donnell, who co-hosted the program from 2012 to 2019, will rejoin Gayle King and Nate Burleson after Labor Day, filling the seat left by Tony Dokoupil, who now anchors 'CBS Evening News.' The show's producer, Jon Tower, said in a staff memo, 'This is a homecoming for Norah. For seven years, Norah helped lead CBS This Morning alongside Gayle, creating one of the most memorable partnerships in the history of morning news.'
The announcement comes amid ongoing backlash from some liberal viewers over Weiss's appointment as CBS News editor-in-chief by Paramount CEO David Ellison. Critics have accused Weiss of being too friendly with the political right, despite her self-described old-school liberal views. Ellison and Weiss have said their goal is to appeal to the '70% in the middle' rather than the political fringes.
O'Donnell's direct responses to critics highlight the tension between the network's new leadership and its traditional audience. One Instagram user wrote, 'I feel Norah is too good to stay with CBS. As long as Bari Weiss and the Ellisons are in charge bye bye,' to which O'Donnell replied, 'This is so silly. Just watch our show!' Another user said, 'NO!! Go to another network. I will never watch a minute of CBS programming after the Colbert/60 minutes fiasco.' O'Donnell responded, 'Thanks for commenting. Give us a try.'
In addition to her morning duties, O'Donnell has been named a correspondent for '60 Minutes' as part of a major shakeup at the long-running newsmagazine. Several new correspondents and contributors have been announced, including Ross Douthat, who left The New York Times for the role. The changes follow the departures of correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega, Scott Pelley, and Anderson Cooper.
O'Donnell previously anchored 'CBS Evening News' from 2019 to 2025. After she stepped down, John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois co-anchored the program for a year, but both left the network after Weiss appointed Dokoupil to the anchor chair in January. A spokesperson for CBS News declined to comment on the criticism.
The controversy unfolds as Ellison's Paramount is on the verge of acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery for $111 billion, a deal that would put both CBS News and CNN under his corporate umbrella. CNN staffers have expressed concerns about potential editorial changes, though Ellison has vowed to maintain CNN's independence. The merger has been delayed by an antitrust lawsuit from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, with a trial set for March 2027.