**CBS News’ New ‘Anti-Woke’ Boss Eyes Fox News’ Bret Baier for Top Talent Amid Viewer Exodus**
*Published Oct. 24, 2025, 5:30 p.m. ET*
The anti-woke new boss at CBS News is reportedly setting her sights on right-wing Fox News for fresh talent, RadarOnline.com can reveal. Bari Weiss, who was recently appointed to shake things up at CBS News, has her eye on Fox star Bret Baier as CBS Evening News continues to lose viewers amid a perceived left-leaning slant in recent months.
### ‘Quietly Canvassing’ for Baier
Weiss, 41, was brought on board by David Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Paramount—the parent company of CBS—to revamp the network’s programming, including staples like *60 Minutes*.
According to Olivier Darcy’s Status newsletter, Weiss has been “quietly canvassing” for a major makeover of CBS’s flagship nightly news broadcast, with Baier’s name mentioned as a potential new anchor. However, Baier is under contract with Fox News until 2028, making his immediate availability unlikely, Darcy noted.
### Both Sides of the Aisle
Bret Baier has been a familiar face on Fox News since joining the network in 1998 as Atlanta bureau chief and correspondent. After serving as Fox’s Pentagon and White House correspondent, he has anchored *Special Report with Bret Baier* since 2009.
Baier earned widespread praise for a tough 2023 interview with then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, pressing the Republican on various issues including Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was rigged. Baier also demonstrated his interviewing skills with Trump’s 2024 Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, giving one of her few challenging sit-downs—an exchange described as “contentious” over immigration and border security.
### A ‘Champion of Principled Journalism’
Weiss was hired with a clear mission: to restore balance at CBS News after the network was accused of being overly woke. When announcing Weiss’s appointment on October 6, Ellison said, “We believe the majority of the country longs for news that is balanced and fact-based, and we want CBS to be their home.” He called Weiss a “proven champion of independent, principled journalism.”
Before joining CBS, Weiss worked as an opinion writer at *The New York Times* but resigned in 2020, citing “constant bullying” in an “illiberal environment.” A Pittsburgh native, she went on to build her profile in online journalism, co-founding the newsletter *The Free Press* in 2021. The newsletter grew into a media company, which was purchased earlier this year by Ellison’s Paramount Skydance for $150 million.
### Revamping CBS Evening News
Weiss’s task includes righting the ship at CBS’s flagship evening news program. The show underwent a significant overhaul in January before her arrival. Longtime anchor Norah O’Donnell, who had held the seat since 2019, was replaced by co-anchors John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois.
The revamped format took on a more magazine-style approach, featuring Washington D.C. correspondent Margaret Brennan and weather reporter Lonnie Quinn. However, the changes misfired with viewers, resulting in a notable exodus. O’Donnell had an audience of 4.8 million viewers, which has since dropped to 4.1 million.
### ‘Bias’ Concerns at *60 Minutes*
Weiss has also started making waves at the venerable news magazine *60 Minutes*. After a recent staff meeting, she reportedly asked the correspondents, “Why does the country think you’re biased?” The New York Times described the question as creating a moment of “stunned awkwardness” in the room.
The program has faced legal troubles, as former President Trump sued *60 Minutes* in October 2024, alleging “deceptive conduct” by claiming the show edited an interview with Vice President Harris to make her answers appear more articulate during the campaign. CBS and Paramount Global settled with Trump for $16 million in August.
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As Bari Weiss works to revitalize CBS News with a more balanced, principled approach, all eyes will be on whether the network can reclaim its audience—and if Bret Baier will make an unlikely jump from Fox News to lead the charge.
https://radaronline.com/p/anti-woke-cbs-boss-bari-weiss-eyeing-fox-news-bret-baier-key-position/