NEWS'60 Minutes' Star Claims CBS News' New Boss Bari Weiss Is 'Murdering' Show
'60 Minutes' correspondent Scott Pelley slammed CBS boss Bari Weiss in leaked audio.
June 2 2026, Published 3:37 p.m. ET
Longtime 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley fiercely accused CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss of "murdering" the legendary newsmagazine during an explosive staff meeting on Monday, June 1.
According to leaked audio recordings obtained by outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post, Pelley slammed the network's direction following a massive wave of high-profile firings.
The clash occurred during an introductory morning meeting intended to welcome Nick Bilton, the newly appointed executive producer of 60 Minutes. When Bilton tried to reassure staffers by stating that Weiss "loves this institution" and "loves 60 Minutes," Pelley bluntly interrupted.
"She’s murdering 60 Minutes. She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it and is doing exactly that," he ridiculed.
'She Has No Qualifications for Her Job'
'She was brought in to kill it and is doing exactly that,' Scott Pelley declared of Bari Weiss.
Pelley, whose voice reportedly shook with anger, did not stop there. He openly questioned the credentials of both his new boss and the network's chief executive.
David Ellison, CEO of CBS's parent company, hired former New York Times opinion writer Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News in October 2025. The move was driven by a mandate to shift the network's editorial direction, appeal to right-of-center audiences, and combat long-standing criticisms of liberal bias against Ellison's friend, President Donald Trump.
Pelley claimed, "She has no qualifications for her job," adding that the changes she spearheaded at the CBS Evening News had been "catastrophic.”
"She has no qualifications for her job; you have slender qualifications for this job. The changes that she’s made at the Evening News have been catastrophic, so why should we expect that any of this is going to be any better?" Pelley continued.
Pelley turned directly to Bilton — a tech journalist and filmmaker with no background in traditional broadcast television — and told him he possessed "slender qualifications for this job.” He demanded to know why Bilton accepted the role, asking, "knowing that you will never be welcome here.”
The '60 Minutes' correspondent's voice was reportedly shaking with anger during a recent meeting.
"Well, I will show you. That’s what I have to say,” Bilton replied. “That is my plan over the next two weeks. I’ll be meeting with everyone. I’m very excited to meet with everyone, yourself included."
"For me, the journalism is the journalism," Bilton said, according to the recording. "That is why I am here. That is why we are all here."
"The rumors people are spreading, that I’m going to turn the show into 60 one-minute episodes, that it’s going to be like TikTok, that is not changing. The show is going to stay exactly like it is for now," he added.
The fury stems from what staff members have dubbed "Black Thursday"— a massive corporate restructuring executed just days prior.
Orchestrated by Weiss under Paramount's new management, the sweep resulted in the abrupt termination of several venerated 60 Minutes leaders and anchors, including Executive Producer Tanya Simon, Executive Editor Draggan Mihailovich, and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega.
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Nick Bilton is the the newly appointed executive producer of '60 Minutes.'
The mass dismissals have stoked deep fears of political censorship and compromised independence within the newsroom. Before her exit, Vega explicitly went public on social media, claiming she faced intense internal pressure to "insert political bias" into her investigative reporting.
Similarly, Alfonsi alleged she was penalized after pushing back against Weiss' decision to delay a segment critical of immigration policies, calling the network's meddling a "deliberate choice to penalize a journalist for refusing to sanitize accurate reporting."
During the heated exchange, CBS News managing editor Charles Forelle attempted to intervene, accusing Pelley of being "rude" to the incoming executive producer. Pelley sharply retorted, "You know what was rude? Black Thursday was rude.”
Facing an incredibly hostile room, Bilton abruptly wrapped up the meeting after only 15 minutes. He awkwardly thanked the staff and told them to "enjoy the bagels" before making a swift exit, leaving the room to erupt into a standing ovation and loud applause for Pelley.
Bari Weiss has faced immense backlash since stepping into the role of CBS' editor-in-chief.
A source close to CBS News leadership told People that "Bari and Nick attempted to reach out to Scott to speak privately since last week. Despite efforts to do so, they have not spoken."
Weiss has been described as center-right or anti-woke, but her posture toward Trump has softened. She has publicly stated that she previously suffered from "Trump Derangement Syndrome," but later acknowledged that he enacted many policies she agreed with.
Since Weiss took over as editor-in-chief of CBS News, the network has experienced significant ratings declines across its flagship programs. Both total viewership and key demographic numbers have fallen to historic, multi-decade lows.
