Jimmy Kimmel has criticised CBS executives, calling them 'Trump suck-ups', after veteran journalist Scott Pelley was fired from 60 Minutes. Pelley's dismissal followed a staff meeting in which he reportedly accused editor-in-chief Bari Weiss of 'murdering' the programme.
During his opening monologue on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel said: 'Last night, the Trump suck-ups at CBS fired a great and deeply respected journalist, Scott Pelley, from his job at 60 Minutes, because he stood up for truth and integrity at a show that’s been the gold standard for broadcast journalism for 57 years.'
Pelley had been a 60 Minutes correspondent for 22 years and spent 37 years at CBS News. In a statement, he said he leaves 'with a heart brimming with gratitude'. He was sent a termination letter by new executive producer Nick Bilton, whom Pelley had criticised for having 'slender' qualifications.
According to audio obtained by The New York Times, Pelley told Bilton during Monday's staff meeting: 'She is murdering 60 Minutes. She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it, and she’s been doing exactly that.' He also accused Weiss of lacking qualifications for her role.
Weiss, who founded the 'anti-woke' outlet The Free Press, was appointed editor-in-chief last October after billionaire David Ellison, who has reported ties to President Donald Trump, took over CBS's parent company, Paramount. She has faced scrutiny over her decision to pull a 60 Minutes segment about Venezuelan migrants sent to a Salvadoran prison.
