President Donald Trump launched a strong critique of CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King on Monday night, August 4, 2025, asserting her career was over. This followed reports about her uncertain future at the network.
Trump responded on his Truth Social platform to a New York Post article suggesting that King’s position at CBS might be at risk. The president stated that King lacked courage and should have maintained faith in him. He concluded by remarking that King has “no talent, no ratings, no strength.”
Speculation about King’s future at CBS arises amid declining ratings for CBS Mornings and following the Skydance-Paramount merger. The New York Post reported that CBS faces a decision regarding King’s multimillion-dollar contract, which expires in May 2026.
According to sources in the Post article, CBS Mornings has been described as too progressive, with claims that viewers favor optimistic content over provocative programming. The report pointed to a recent interview with Bob the Drag Queen, a RuPaul’s Drag Race winner and author of a novel about Harriet Tubman, as an example of content allegedly alienating viewers.
Current ratings data indicate that CBS Mornings is lagging behind its competitors. For the week of July 21, the show averaged 1.8 million viewers, a 10 percent decrease from 2 million during the same week last year. This is behind Good Morning America’s 2.63 million viewers and Today’s 2.3 million viewers. In the 25-54 demographic, CBS Mornings had 287,000 viewers, down 20 percent from 359,000 the previous year.
Trump’s comments follow his recent approval of CBS’ cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which will end in May 2026. The president claimed credit for this decision, though CBS cited financial reasons. Trump previously expressed enjoyment over Colbert’s cancellation and suggested that other late-night hosts might also lose their positions.
The president’s remarks about King contrast with his claim that she once supported him. Their relationship has been contentious, with King frequently criticizing Trump’s policies. During the 2020 election debates, King questioned Trump’s assertion that he was the least racist person, referencing his interactions with white supremacist groups.
In March 2024, King told CNN she felt insulted by Trump’s comments about Black Americans and his mugshot, calling his words a broad generalization about the Black community and labeling them as insulting.
King further opposed Trump by speaking at the Democratic National Convention in August 2024, where she endorsed Kamala Harris for president. After Trump’s January 2025 inauguration, King noted the lack of diversity among attendees, questioning why so few people of color were present.
King, 70, has been with CBS for over a decade after leaving Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network. She is a prominent figure in morning television, known for both hard news and entertainment interviews. CBS representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comments on King’s future or Trump’s statements.
Trump has extended his criticism to other late-night hosts, suggesting that Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon might also face cancellation. He praised Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld as being superior to all network late-night hosts combined.
