Scott Pelley, correspondent for 60 Minutes, spoke out on Saturday about President Donald Trump’s ongoing lawsuit against CBS and its parent company, Paramount Global. During an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Pelley cautioned that settling the case could be “very damaging” to the network’s reputation.
“Well, it’d be very damaging to CBS, to Paramount, to the reputation of those companies,” Pelley said when asked how harmful a settlement or apology might be.
The lawsuit centers on a 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris aired in October 2024. Trump filed suit against CBS News and Paramount Global over the segment. According to a source familiar with the matter, Fox News confirmed that Trump rejected a $15 million settlement offer and is instead seeking at least $25 million along with a formal apology from CBS News.
Cooper, who is also a 60 Minutes correspondent, asked Pelley about the recent resignation of Bill Owens, a former producer for the program.
“Bill’s decision to resign may not have been much of a decision at all,” Pelley explained. “He was always the first to defend the independence of 60 Minutes. Bill didn’t work for Paramount — he worked for our viewers, and he cared deeply about that. Once the corporation started interfering with editorial decisions or applying pressure, Bill felt he no longer had the independence that honest journalism requires.”
Pelley also expressed a desire for stronger public support from CBS News but noted that his reporting continues to air without interference.
“You really wish the company would stand behind you 100%. You want the top leadership to publicly say, ‘60 Minutes is a crown jewel of American journalism, and we fully support it.’ I haven’t heard that,” Pelley said. “ On the other hand, my work is still getting on the air, and no one outside 60 Minutes has told me what I can or cannot say, how to edit stories, or who to interview. So while public backing would be nice, the more important thing is that the work continues to be aired.”
Pelley recently drew attention for his outspoken remarks on free speech during a commencement speech at Wake Forest University, where he criticized what he described as growing fear to speak freely in America.
“In this moment, our sacred rule of law is under attack. Journalism is under attack. Universities are under attack. Freedom of speech is under attack,” Pelley said. “There is an insidious fear spreading through our schools, businesses, homes, and even into our private thoughts — the fear of speaking out in America. If our government is truly ‘of the people, by the people, for the people,’ then why are we afraid to speak?”
During his interview with Cooper, Pelley clarified that his remarks were not aimed directly at Trump or the administration but at broader government actions in recent months.
“There was some hysteria around my speech, and I simply ask: What does it say about our country when there’s hysteria over a speech advocating freedom of speech?” he said.
With input from Fox News.
