After five hours of celebratory programming on Wednesday’s CBS Mornings, featuring softball interviews with Democrats after midterm wins, the CBS morning show continued to showcase more glee on Thursday. Host Norah O’Donnell claimed the victories could lead to more “bipartisanship,” while continuing to push Kansas Democrat Senator-elect Adam Hamilton as a “moderate” who would push back against retribution against the Trump Administration.
CBS’s chief White House correspondent led the show with a long report on the aftermath in the Republican party after the losses, with messages from Vice President JD Vance, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
But, she then turned to possible investigations against Trump, a favorite of the liberal base. Cordes stated, “Democrats have their own decision to make about how they have to use their new majorities.”
CBS's continued midterm coverage on Thursday also hyped up Democrat investigation plans, but continued to play the moderate card for Kansas Senator-elect Adam Hamilton, and said he was worried “too many investigations could be a distraction.” pic.twitter.com/qbNQDBLGqj
— Nick (@nspin310) November 5, 2026
A clip then played of Democrat Senate Chuck Schumer (D-NY), where he said, “There has to be some investigations. But we are not going to take our eye off the ball. Number one, reducing costs, ending corruption.”
Cordes then detailed possible investigations by congressional Democrats, with an emphasized closing point on probes into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth:
Some Democrats are pushing for high-profile probes into deadly ICE operations, the Trump family's financial dealings, and defense secretary Pete Hegseth's handling of the war.
But then, immediately after playing Democratic representative Jason Crow (D-CO) imploring for a Hegseth investigation, Cordes painted Democrat Senator-elect Hamilton as a heroic moderate force:
CORDES: But some Democrats, including Kansas senator-elect Adam Hamilton, worry that too many investigations could be a distraction.
HAMILTON (D-KS): I do not want to spend the next two years in trials. I want to spend the next two years doing everything we can to help the people in Kansas.
A real test for Hamilton’s moderate status will come when given the opportunity of a Supreme Court vacancy in the next two years of Turmp’s final term.
‘MAGA-coded’ CBS still could not hide its excitement over Democrat wins on Thursday, as Norah O’Donnell and Ed O’Keefe claimed the victory would finally bring back “bipartisanship.”
O’DONNELL: Maybe bipartisanship will start to reign in Washington.
O'KEEFE: God forbid. pic.twitter.com/4wMO7YH2qV— Nick (@nspin310) November 5, 2026
In more evidence of the network not being 'MAGA-coded,' just after Cordes’s lead mid-term roundup story, O’Donnell marveled over Democrat win, as Ed O’Keefe wondered what their power in the Senate might mean for voters against Trump policies: (Click “expand”):
Look, when I interviewed the winners in South Carolina -- eventual winners in South Carolina, Michigan, Iowa, Texas, they all said I will go to Washington. I expect to vote on ending the tariffs and ending the war. Even if Democrats were to hold those votes, we know the president is saying, at least so far, he would use the power to veto to probably stop those things. So, they will be on the record early on on campaign promises. We will see if they can ultimately pull it off.
He then turned to start to claim the Democrat leads could lead to more bipartisan work:
The other basic things that start to change, you’re going to have Democratic and Republican senators in places like Texas, Ohio, South Carolina, Iowa, who have to work together on some basic home-state issues. A lot of Republican senators have never had to do that, and they’ll have to learn to get along.
O’Donnell responded, “Maybe bipartisanship will start to reign in Washington,” to which O’Keefe joked, “God forbid.”
Did CBS or O’Donnell celebrate possible bipartisanship when Republicans had the majority, and Democrats had to work with Republicans, which they, largely, have not? Bipartisanship only seems like a viable option to the media when Democrats are in power.
The transcript is below. Click "expand":
CBS Mornings
November 5, 2026
7:04:50 AM Eastern
NANCY CORDES: Democrats have their own decision to make about how have to use their new majorities
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): There has to be some investigations. But we are not going to take our eye off the ball. Number one, reducing costs, ending corruption.
CORDES: Some Democrats are pushing for high-profile probes into deadly ICE operations, the Trump family's financial dealings, and defense secretary Pete Hegseth's handling of the war.
REP. JASON CROW (D-CO) He is incompetent. The corruption that he has brought at the highest levels of the Pentagon --
CORDES, But some Democrats, including Kansas senator-elect Adam Hamilton, worry that too many investigations could be a distraction.
SEN-ELECT ADAM HAMILTON (D-KS) I do not want to spend the next two years in trials. I want to spend the next two years doing everything we can to help the people in Kansas.
(...)
7:07:26 AM Eastern
NORAH O’DONNELL: Okay. 10, 12 seats, whatever it may be for the Democrats, how does that affect how they govern in Washington?
ED O’KEEFE: Look, when I interviewed the winners in South Carolina -- eventual winners in South Carolina, Michigan, Iowa, Texas, they all said I will go to Washington. I expect to vote on ending the tariffs and ending the war. Even if Democrats were to hold those votes, we know the president is saying, at least so far, he would use the power to veto to probably stop those things. So, they will be on the record early on campaign promises. We will see if they can ultimately pull it off.
The other basic things that start to change: You’re going to have Democratic and Republican senators in places like Texas, Ohio, South Carolina, Iowa, who have to work together on some basic home-state issues. A lot of Republican senators have never had to do that, and they’ll have to learn to get along.
O’DONNELL: Maybe bipartisanship will start to reign in Washington.
O’KEEFE: God forbid.
O’DONNELL: Let’s see. Alright, Ed. Thank you.
(...)
