Scott Pelley sharply criticized Bari Weiss in remarks about a disputed Minneapolis-related episode that he said convinced him she was favoring the White House’s viewpoint. Pelley said his impression at the time was that Weiss was “putting a thumb on the scale” for the administration and consistently focusing on the president’s perspective. He said there was nothing wrong with reporting the administration’s views, but argued that this was not enough and that the bigger issue was not political influence but poor newsroom performance.
Pelley said the newsroom failed to handle a deadline properly, describing the incident as a serious lapse in competence. According to Pelley, the broadcast nearly missed air by 19 minutes, putting the entire “60 Minutes” hour at risk on the night of the Grammys, when the program served as the lead-in to the awards show. He said the situation was extremely close to becoming an on-air failure and used it as evidence of deeper problems in the operation.
When asked whether Weiss should be removed from her position, Pelley answered without hesitation that she should. He said she is a “lovely person” and acknowledged that her Free Press organization, which she founded, has been successful. Still, he said television is not her strength and suggested that her skills are not suited to the demands of running a television newsroom.
Pelley compared the role to being asked to fly a commercial aircraft without the proper training, saying he would refuse such a task because he would not know how to do it. He argued that the job requires specific experience and judgment, and that someone without that background should not be placed in that position.
He also said it would have been better if Weiss had been offered the role and declined it herself, admitting it was not the right fit. Pelley’s comments underscore tensions over editorial direction, newsroom leadership, and the demands of broadcast journalism. His criticism framed the issue less as a matter of ideology and more as one of competence, timing, and the practical realities of producing a live television news program under pressure.
