Yesterday, Townhall reported that longtime CBS correspondent Scott Pelley was fired following a massive meltdown at an all-hands staff meeting. Pelley was unhappy with CBS Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss and new '60 Minutes' head Nick Bilton.
Pelley said Weiss was 'killing' the '60 Minutes' program and reportedly told Nick Bilton, "I find it odd that you would take this job knowing that you would never be welcomed here."
Several '60 Minutes' staffers are reportedly angry about Pelley's firing.
"60 Minutes" staffers past and present are outraged about Scott Pelley's firing. pic.twitter.com/6cGcoiPcic
— Scott Nover (@ScottNover) June 3, 2026
Here's more:
Current and former staffers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly, were outraged on Tuesday evening following Pelley’s firing.
“The idea that Scott Pelley creates a hostile environment at that place is the most laughable idea I’ve ever heard,” one former staffer said.
“‘60 Minutes’ is full of jerks but he is the most calm, professional and polite correspondent I’ve ever worked for.”
A current staffer said, “Scott Pelley is the only person who allows this show to continue. Without him, ‘60 Minutes’ is gone. They can use the ‘tick-tick-tick,’ but they will never have the whole clock again.”
When asked how the feeling inside “60 Minutes” was, another staffer put it bluntly: “It’s like being awake during surgery.”
Pelley repeatedly refused to meet privately with Weiss and Bilton. That's not professional. He chose to lead a rebellion in the newsroom, and it cost him his job.
The argument that '60 Minutes' was doing great before Weiss and Bilton came on board is a lie. In fact, since Weiss started at CBS, '60 Minutes' actually saw a nine percent increase.
CBS 60 Minutes Ratings - 2000 to 2026
— RoadMN (@RoadMN) June 1, 2026
60 Minutes has declined for over two decades as viewing habits have changed.
The 2025–2026 season under @BariWeiss, it averaged 9.1 million viewers, a +9% increase.
So much for @ScottPelley’s claim that she’s “murdering” the show. pic.twitter.com/xMSBGpEX0z
That claim was always a lie.
Anonymous sources are outraged, but unwilling to go on the record or resign. Pelley was a hack. pic.twitter.com/JdfXQtiut6
— Smells Like Teen Statism (@BlueEightySix) June 3, 2026
Right. So outraged they won't do anything about it but complain to The Washington Post.
Spare me. We all heard about what happened at that meeting and Pelley did everything but explicitly say that he does not want to work for Weiss. None of the outraged sources would speak to their bosses that way and expect to keep their jobs. Performative and not even convincing.
— Small Metal Owl (@SmallMetalOwl) June 3, 2026
No other profession would tolerate Pelley's behavior.
The accounts of his insubordination are pretty cut and dry. That is always fireable for cause and that it was so public means he has zero negotiating power. pic.twitter.com/UCxMPVevun
— Sexy Dad Bod Mike (@bod25mike) June 3, 2026
Exactly. Insubordination is a fireable offense.
Oh please, Pelley was
— Brad Slager: CNN+ Lifetime Subscriber (@MartiniShark) June 3, 2026
BEGGING for it. He refused any amicable meeting with Bilton.
He wants the attention so he can play the victim. This is all intentional.
These statements show how deep the rot is, and how emotionally stunted the journalistic class is.
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) June 3, 2026
It does not matter what they think about Scott Pelley. He decided to be an arrogant, insubordinate clown so he was fired.
Welcome to the real world. https://t.co/WVemffxY9f
The rot in journalism runs deep, and they're going to fight anyone who tries to clean it up.