Norah O’Donnell Bids Farewell to CBS Evening News

Veteran journalist Norah O’Donnell has officially ended her 12-year tenure at CBS Evening News. After anchoring the program since 2019, she called the past five and a half years an “honor of a lifetime.” O’Donnell now plans to pursue new opportunities in journalism, especially given the challenges CBS faces with viewership.

A Grateful Sign-Off

During her final broadcast, O’Donnell expressed heartfelt gratitude to viewers and colleagues. She said, “It has been the honor of a lifetime to anchor this legacy broadcast. The CBS Evening News is the longest-running evening newscast in America, thanks to the finest journalists in the world.” She praised the team’s dedication and reaffirmed the importance of hard news delivered with compassion.

O’Donnell continued, “Journalism is essential, and I know this from the many viewers who’ve shared their thoughts. I’m grateful for your trust. I’ll miss you, but you’ll still see me on CBS News programs like Mornings, 60 Minutes, Sunday Morning, and during primetime. For the last time, that’s tonight’s CBS Evening News. I owe everything to my colleagues. Truly. Love you. Good night.”

CBS Reflects on O’Donnell’s Legacy

CBS Evening News tweeted, “After five years in the anchor chair, @NorahODonnell signs off tonight. Her reporting has made history and resonated with viewers nationwide. This isn’t a farewell — Norah will remain an integral part of CBS News as a senior correspondent.”

Moderating the Vice Presidential Debate

In addition to her anchoring duties, O’Donnell co-moderated the vice-presidential debate last year with Margaret Brennan. The debate, featuring Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Vice President JD Vance, sparked controversy. Both O’Donnell and Brennan fact-checked statements during the event, despite prior agreements to refrain from doing so.

The Debate Controversy

During the debate, Vance was questioned about his views on climate change. O’Donnell responded by affirming, “The overwhelming consensus among scientists is that the Earth’s climate is warming at an unprecedented rate.” Brennan also fact-checked Vance’s comments about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, clarifying, “Springfield does have a significant number of Haitian migrants with legal status, specifically Temporary Protected Status.”

However, Vance pushed back, asserting that the debate rules forbade fact-checking. He explained, “Since you’re fact-checking me, I think it’s important to share the real situation. There’s an app called CBP One, which allows people entering illegally to apply for asylum or parole and get legal status almost instantly. This isn’t like someone applying for a green card and waiting ten years.”