Scott Pelley Slams CBS Leadership After Firing, Accuses Executives of Political Bias and Trying to Win Favor With Trump Administration

Scott Pelley has criticized CBS News leadership after being fired from 60 Minutes, accusing executives of trying to gain favor with President Donald Trump and abandoning the program’s longtime journalistic standards.

In a statement released Tuesday, Pelley said recent leadership changes at CBS had damaged the show and led to the dismissal of respected journalists without cause. He also alleged that managers pressured him to include unverified claims and bias in politically sensitive stories, instructions he said he refused to follow.

Pelley’s firing came after a tense staff meeting in which he reportedly criticized new CBS News leaders, including editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and executive producer Nick Bilton. Bilton later terminated Pelley, citing hostility and a lack of commitment to the show’s future.

CBS sources said company leaders had tried to speak privately with Pelley before his dismissal. Despite the controversy, Pelley thanked CBS News colleagues for their support and praised journalists still working at the network, while saying the values he believed in were no longer being upheld at 60 Minutes.