CBS News’ flagship show is struggling to fill its guest seats with anyone willing to openly criticize Donald Trump—especially under its new MAGA-curious boss, Bari Weiss.
The latest episode of 60 Minutes focused on Trump’s pardon of billionaire Chinese felon Changpeng Zhao—founder of the cryptocurrency giant Binance—a move critics have blasted as “corruption.”
Zhao, whom the Justice Department accused of causing “significant harm to U.S. national security,” received a pardon months after Binance struck a $2 billion partnership deal with the Trump family’s crypto venture, World Liberty Financial.
But while dozens of people directly involved with “all aspects” of the pardon spoke with CBS for the episode, journalist Scott Pelley said they refused to appear on camera—for the same reason.
“We have talked to dozens of people who are involved in all aspects of this,” Pelley said. “And they have informed our reporting but have declined to sit down for an interview on 60 Minutes for fear of retribution.”
One of the few people willing to speak on camera was Elizabeth Oyer, the former head of pardons at the Justice Department—and she wasn’t surprised by the hesitancy.
“I am very worried, Scott, about the future of our country,” said Oyer, who was reportedly fired in March after refusing to sign off on a Trump administration request to restore gun rights to actor Mel Gibson, convicted of domestic battery.
“This president appears to be selling off pieces of our democracy. And the presidential pardon power is a solemn instrument of the presidency that the founders of our country entrusted to the president with the idea that he would use it for the public good.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
The reluctance of potential sources comes as CBS News attempts to rebrand itself with the controversial appointment of conservative commentator Weiss as editor-in-chief—a move by Trump-friendly CBS CEO David Ellison that many saw as a capitulation to the White House.
Earlier this month, the newsmagazine aired a wide-ranging half-hour sit-down between Trump and anchor Norah O’Donnell, during which Trump praised Weiss, 41, as a “great new leader.” The network later cut portions of the interview in which Trump boasted about a multimillion-dollar payout from parent company Paramount, as well as his rant about public backlash to Zhao’s pardon.
Weiss’ rise to the top was approved by regulators after CBS paid Trump $16 million to end his lawsuit over the editing of 60 Minutes’ interview with Kamala Harris. The Pittsburgh native theatrically resigned from the New York Times in July 2020 after accusing colleagues of “bullying” and calling the paper an “illiberal environment.” She then launched her anti-woke Substack site, The Free Press, which has published pieces such as “I Can Explain Why the Nazi Salute Is Back” and “I Used to Hate Trump. Now I’m a MAGA Lefty.”
In October, billionaire David Ellison’s Skydance—backed by his father, Oracle founder and Trump ally Larry Ellison—acquired The Free Press for $150 million. Since then, Weiss has axed a series of shows and fired dozens of staff.
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