Gayle King Quitting CBS Morning Show Amid ‘Trump Takeover’

Longtime liberal media darling Gayle King is reportedly on her way out at CBS Mornings as the network continues a dramatic overhaul under new ownership with pro-Trump editorial leadership at the helm.

Sources close to the matter say King, 70, is expected to leave her anchor seat next May, marking the end of a 13-year run that often drew criticism for its cozy treatment of left-wing politicians and anti-Trump rhetoric.

“I don’t know if they’re renewing me,” King admitted in a TMZ interview this week, adding she’s “in the dark” about the network’s future direction.

The potential departure comes as CBS, now under the editorial eye of former New York Times columnist Bari Weiss and new parent company Paramount Skydance, embraces a more balanced—and in some cases, rightward-shifting—editorial strategy. That shift coincides with the re-election of President Donald J. Trump, whose 2024 landslide victory accelerated a media reckoning across traditional liberal outlets.

Since Trump’s return to the White House, legacy newsrooms like CBS have faced steep ratings declines and internal fractures. Paramount Skydance, led by CEO David Ellison, son of Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison, finalized its merger earlier this year with an explicit aim to “restore trust” in mainstream media by cutting bloated bureaucracy and ideological bias.

“This is about aligning content with what Americans actually care about,” an insider told The Washington Herald. “CBS was losing Middle America. Ellison and Weiss want to win it back.”

Weiss, 41, made headlines Wednesday after canceling CBS Saturday Morning and abruptly firing co-hosts Michelle Miller and Dana Jacobson, along with their executive producer.

Additional streaming spin-offs like CBS Mornings Plus and Evening News Plus were also axed, as Ellison’s internal memo cited “roles no longer aligned with evolving priorities.”

“We’re done catering to elite bubbles,” a source close to Weiss added. “If Gayle King doesn’t fit this new era, she’s welcome to explore other options.”

King’s exit would follow fellow CBS veteran John Dickerson, who announced this week he’s also stepping away by year’s end. Dickerson, a vocal critic of the Trump-era settlement CBS made with the former president’s presidential library, previously accused the network of “trading away its trust.”

“Can you hold power to account after paying it millions?” Dickerson asked earlier this year after CBS resolved a $16 million lawsuit with the Trump Foundation.

Many at CBS reportedly viewed Dickerson’s parting words as a veiled shot at the new leadership—a leadership critics say is simply correcting the network’s long-held liberal imbalance.

Reports suggest Weiss is actively courting Fox News anchor Bret Baier to take over CBS Evening News. Baier, 55, responded diplomatically during a recent podcast with Meghan McCain:

“I’m under contract with Fox and very happy here… but I’ll never say never.”

If Baier declines, sources say Weiss may turn to Scott Jennings, a pro-Trump CNN commentator and former George W. Bush adviser known for calling out media hypocrisy and defending the 45th—and 47th—President’s policies.

Throughout her tenure, Gayle King built a reputation as Oprah Winfrey’s closest confidante and one of CBS’s most recognizable faces. But conservatives long accused her of pushing a liberal slant under the guise of mainstream journalism.

From her softball interviews with Kamala Harris to her on-air scolding of Trump-era officials, King’s critics argue she’s been “out of touch with real Americans for years.”

“Gayle made herself the story too often,” a former CBS staffer said. “That doesn’t fly in the Trump economy. Results matter, not reputations.”

Her future at CBS—if any—remains unclear. The network insists “no discussions have been held” about her next move but emphasized she remains “a valued part of the team.”

Gayle King’s possible exit from CBS Mornings is more than just a personnel shift—it’s a symbol of the broader realignment happening in American media under President Trump’s second term. As CBS pivots away from East Coast elitism, the question is:

Will other networks follow, or double down on the past?