Veteran “60 Minutes” correspondent Steve Kroft tore into CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss’ leadership amid the program’s staff being gutted, predicting that she will soon be out of her role.
“I have a feeling that Bari will not be overseeing ‘60 Minutes’ for very much longer. I think once the deal gets done with Warner Bros., people will demand that she be let go or move into another position,” Kroft told Variety.
Kroft referenced an Axios report which alleged Weiss will be overseeing all news editorial across CBS News and CNN should President Donald Trump ally and Paramount-Skydance CEO David Ellison acquire Warner Bros. Discovery.
“Everything she’s touched has turned to shit. Everything she’s touched has gone colossally wrong,” Kroft said. “And I don’t think she’s showed any talent for this position. She’s only fulfilling other people’s agendas.”
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Kroft’s ruthless remarks towards Weiss come amid a controversial rightward shift in the network’s editorial decisions.
Most recently Scott Pelley, another “60 Minutes” anchor who was recently fired from the network, accused Weiss of “putting a thumb on the scale” for the Trump administration during coverage of protests in Minneapolis against Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdowns.
According to Pelley, Weiss wanted the protesters to look more violent and to report that Renee Good, who was shot and killed by a federal agent last year, drove towards him. The claim has been debunked, and Pelley did not make the change.
Bill Whitaker, Lesley Stahl and Jon Wertheim, the remaining “60 Minutes” correspondents, held an hourlong meeting earlier this month to discuss their futures as the program dwindles, Status reported.
Kroft said Weiss’ callousness toward senior “60 Minutes” staffers is not a surprise to him.
“They’ve been shameless in their directions and shameless in their actions. I hope it’s going to come to an end, but I don’t have a great deal of confidence in Bari Weiss to do what she says that she’s going to do,” Kroft said, adding that it’ll be interesting to see how much Whitaker, Stahl, and Wertheim “will put up with” the leadership.