John Dickerson, who was ousted from CBS News in favor of MAGA-coded Tony Dokoupil, made his big return to the network on The Late Show to explain why President Trump’s State of the Union address flopped.
Dickerson was invited back by host Stephen Colbert to discuss the president’s speech on Tuesday night, in a live segment that aired shortly after Trump addressed the nation. The seasoned political journalist offered a succinct explanation as to why Trump is failing, saying, “The majority and polls show people think the thing he was elected to do, which was to lower prices and deal with the economy, he’s not doing a good job.”
“The majority says they disapprove of the job he’s doing on the economy and that he’s not handling prices,” Dickerson continued, adding that the tariffs Trump has imposed as his “major economic initiative” are not liked by the majority of the American public.
But, Dickerson pointed out, the fatal error in Trump’s speech was his failure to address these concerns. Instead, “what he essentially did is say ‘we’re winning.’”
“It’s the toughest thing to do in politics, which is to say ‘you’re not feeling what you’re feeling,’” he explained further.
The president’s disapproval ratings have hit a five-year high, with 60 percent of U.S. adults nationwide providing a negative rating. According to the Washington Post–ABC News poll, 47 percent of respondents say they strongly disapprove of the president. The numbers come as American adults disagree with how several key issues have been handled. Namely, these factors are tariffs, inflation, the economy, border security, and immigration.
Dickerson also slammed the president’s rhetoric in his address, calling out his lies.
“He was three minutes in, and he lied about growth. He had lied about inflation. And then later, he lied about who pays tariffs.”
The journalist, 57, left his role as co-anchor of CBS Evening News after the network made a significant shift toward MAGA-friendly leadership. Dickerson announced his departure in October 2025. He was replaced by Tony Dokoupil, who was appointed by editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.
Dickerson’s appearance on The Late Show last night was his first since departing from CBS, where he worked for 16 years. Both Dickerson and Colbert have been vocal about the network, which also airs The Late Show, slamming parent company Paramount’s $16 million settlement with the president last summer.
While Colbert famously trashed the decision as a “big fat bribe” to Trump, Dickerson similarly revolted on air.
“The Paramount settlement poses a new obstacle: can you hold power to account after paying it millions?” he asked in an impassioned monologue. “Can an audience trust you when it thinks you’ve traded away that trust? The audience will decide that.”
Colbert’s ongoing tensions with his network reached a boiling point last week, after the late-night host revealed that CBS blocked him from interviewing a rising Democrat on his live show.
Colbert’s run on The Late Show is coming to an end this Spring, with his final episode airing on Thursday, May 21.
