Brian Williams reportedly rejected an offer to anchor the CBS Evening News


Brian Williams reportedly turned down the opportunity to anchor the CBS Evening News after his recent departure from NBC.
Williams left MSNBC last year after nearly three decades at NBC News, and CNN now reports that CBS News President Neeraj Khemlani made at least two attempts to recruit him to the network to anchor the CBS Evening News. But Williams reportedly rebuffed the offer and isn't interested in the gig.
Williams most recently served as the host of The 11th Hour on MSNBC, and he formerly anchored the NBC Nightly News. He was suspended in 2015 following revelations that he misrepresented his experiences covering the Iraq War. Williams said he did not intentionally fabricate stories but had misremembered them. "I told stories that were not true," he said in 2015. "Over the years, looking back, it is very clear. I never intended to. It got mixed up. It got turned around in my mind." Williams was moved to MSNBC.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
CNN's Oliver Darcy writes that the idea of Williams turning down an offer to anchor one of the big three network newscasts would have been "unfathomable" just a few years ago but that despite the scandal, he is now "in demand" and "fielding proposals" about his future. Norah O'Donnell currently anchors the CBS Evening News, but the New York Post previously reported she was "in danger of losing" the job. A CBS executive told CNN that while "it's no surprise people are wondering who's coming to CBS News next," Williams "is not going to be doing the Evening News. End of Story."
When he announced his departure from NBC in November, Williams told viewers "there are many things I want to do, and I'll pop up again somewhere."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Trump offers migrants $1,000 to 'self-deport'
speed read The Department of Homeland Security says undocumented immigrants can leave the US in a more 'dignified way'
-
Could the next pope be an American?
Today's Big Question Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is a possible 'superpower pope'
-
Today's political cartoons - May 6, 2025
Cartoons Tuesday's cartoons - rare earth minerals, rising prices, and more
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia