Trump torches Scott Pelley after '60 Minutes' firing

"60 Minutes" executive producer Nick Bilton fired Pelley this week and later told staff he had attempted to resolve things amicably with the journalist, but failed.

By Ben Whedon

Published: June 3, 2026 12:03pm

President Donald Trump on Wednesday excoriated former "60 Minutes" correspondent Scott Pelley after CBS News fired him over his criticism of management and changes to the program.

"60 Minutes" executive producer Nick Bilton fired Pelley this week and later told staff he had attempted to resolve things amicably with the journalist, but failed.

Trump, for his part, had harsh words for Pelley during an interview with the New York Post's "Pod Force One."

“I think Scott Pelley’s got his own problems. He’s terrible. Look, Scott Pelley’s a stiff and he’s afraid," Trump said. "And he’s part of this gang of crooked, stupid people that don’t care about our country.”

Pelley was one of many CBS News employees who objected to the sweeping changes to the network under Bari Weiss, who came to lead the network after a buyout of her own outlet, The Free Press.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent for Just the News. Follow him on X.