{"id":2450865,"date":"2026-06-09T01:22:30","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T01:22:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2450865"},"modified":"2026-06-09T01:22:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T01:22:30","slug":"bill-maher-cheers-scott-pelleys-60-minutes-firing-i-never-liked-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/bill-maher-cheers-scott-pelleys-60-minutes-firing-i-never-liked-him\/","title":{"rendered":"Bill Maher cheers Scott Pelley&#8217;s \u201c60 Minutes\u201d firing: &#8216;I never liked him&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\">Key Points<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Bill Maher is pushing back on the claim that Scott Pelley&#8217;s <em>60 Minute<\/em>s firing is political interference.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The <em>Real Time<\/em> host dismissed Pelley&#8217;s firing and the other shakeups at CBS News as the company just &#8220;chang[ing] hands.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Maher added that he &#8220;never liked&#8221; Pelley and doesn&#8217;t think his job is &#8220;that hard.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/person\/bill-maher\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Bill Maher;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Bill Maher&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Bill Maher<\/a> doesn&#8217;t see why <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/scott-pelley-emotional-first-interview-after-60-minutes-firing-11992728\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Scott Pelley's 60 Minutes firing;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Scott Pelley'&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Scott Pelley&#8217;s <em>60 Minutes <\/em>firing<\/a> is such a big deal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">On Friday&#8217;s Overtime edition of <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/tv\/bill-maher-slammed-by-keith-olbermann-for-returning-without-wga-writers\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Real Time With Bill Maher;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Real Time With Bill Maher&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><em>Real Time With Bill Maher<\/em><\/a>, the host was dismissive of the tumult surrounding recent changes to the venerated CBS News program, particularly when one of his guests argued that Pelley&#8217;s firing was an example of political interference from the Trump administration.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;What does the panel think of the recent shakeup at <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/60-minutes\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:60 Minutes;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;60 Minutes&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><em>60 Minutes<\/em><\/a>?&#8221; Maher asked guests Sen. Chris Murphy and former United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Maher then quipped, &#8220;I\u2019m for it \u2014 goodnight,&#8221; and pretended to walk off. Sitting back down, he posed the question again. &#8220;What do you think of the shakeup at <em>60 Minutes<\/em>?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;You&#8217;re watching a censorship state be created,&#8221; Murphy, the junior Democratic senator from Connecticut replied. &#8220;Trump is using the powers that he has available as president of the United States to install only friendly ownership at the big media companies. He&#8217;s using regulatory powers to punish people who oppose him.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><i>Maher is joined by Sen. Chris Muphy and Amb. Susan Rice on &#8216;Real Time&#8217;<br \/>Credit: HBO<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Pelley, who was publicly fired from his longtime role at <em>60 Minutes <\/em>after <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/scott-pelley-says-cbs-news-boss-bari-weiss-murdering-60-minutes-11988527\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:clashing with new leadership;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;clashing with new leadership&quot;}\" class=\"link \">clashing with new leadership<\/a>, represents the latest in a series of major shakeups at the show and CBS News overall. Since February, <em>60 Minutes <\/em>has shed four correspondents \u2014 Pelley, Anderson Cooper, Sharyn Alfonsi, and Cecilia Vega \u2014 in addition to executive producer Tanya Simon and executive editor Draggan Mihailovich. Only three correspondents remain: Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, and Jon Wertheim.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Pushing back on Murphy&#8217;s claims, Maher dismissed the idea that Pelley&#8217;s firing \u2014 and those of the other correspondents \u2014 make for a dire situation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I just don\u2019t think being a <em>60 Minutes<\/em> correspondent is that hard. I don\u2019t feel like Scott Pelley was a national treasure,&#8221; Maher said, which earned some shocked laughter from the live audience. &#8220;I never liked him, sorry. I just never did.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Maher continued, &#8220;Companies change hands. People bring in their own people, their new ownership. I feel like we see everything through such a partisan lens. &#8216;Oh my God! <em>60 Minutes<\/em> has a new cast!\u2019 So does <em>Saturday Night Live<\/em>!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;It&#8217;s not just <em>60 Minutes<\/em>,&#8221; Murphy argued, pointing to the exit of <em>Late Show <\/em>host Stephen Colbert, whom he dubbed one of Trump&#8217;s &#8220;chief late night critics.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">CBS has been under intense scrutiny on the heels of Paramount-Skydance CEO <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/t\/david-ellison\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:David Ellison;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;David Ellison&quot;}\" class=\"link \">David Ellison<\/a>&#8216;s insertion of Bari Weiss atop the network&#8217;s news division. That coincided with the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-to-end-in-2026-cbs-retiring-franchise-11774759\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:cancelation of The Late Show;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;cancelation of The Late Show&quot;}\" class=\"link \">cancelation of <em>The Late Show<\/em><\/a>, a heavily criticized decision that has proven all the more controversial as the network&#8217;s parent company seeks approval from Trump regulators to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, parent company of Maher&#8217;s employer, HBO. All of this has resulted in speculation that the recent changes to news programming are an effort to appease the president.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Pelley on '60 Minutes'Credit: CBS News\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/Zv0zOQxp0FNjpD3JsJw7uA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/entertainment_weekly_785\/70c3b3a076395994dbcdf6dfb7dde133\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><i>Pelley on &#8217;60 Minutes&#8217;<br \/>Credit: CBS News<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I get it. I agree, he&#8217;s a danger to media,&#8221; Maher said of Trump. &#8220;He&#8217;s a danger to freedom of speech. But just <em>60 Minutes<\/em>? I don&#8217;t know. And I&#8217;m not gonna make that decision until I see a smoking gun,&#8221; he continued, joking, &#8220;Something like, &#8216;Oh wow, Candance Owens and Alex Jones on<em> 60 Minutes<\/em>!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Murphy argued, &#8220;They&#8217;re always going to maintain a veneer of objectivity. The good ones who are trying to carefully transition a country from democracy to autocracy don&#8217;t do it overnight. It is methodical that over time you feel like you don&#8217;t have the space to criticize and if you are going to put forth the administration&#8217;s propaganda you get an elevated seat at the table. That doesn&#8217;t just turn on a dime.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;When I see actual evidence of that, I\u2019ll be on your side,&#8221; Maher replied.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong><em>Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with\u00a0our\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/ew-dispatch-newsletter-11812417\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:EW Dispatch newsletter;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;EW Dispatch newsletter&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><strong><em>EW Dispatch newsletter<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Pelley&#8217;s exit came after an explosive staff meeting on June 1 saw him clash with Weiss and Nick Bilton, a former <em>New York Times<\/em> technology columnist who was recently appointed to run <em>60 Minutes<\/em>. Pelley accused Weiss of &#8220;<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/scott-pelley-says-cbs-news-boss-bari-weiss-murdering-60-minutes-11988527\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:murdering 60 Minutes;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;murdering 60 Minutes&quot;}\" class=\"link \">murdering 60 Minutes<\/a>,&#8221; and slammed Bilton for having &#8220;slender qualifications for this job.&#8221; He was terminated the next day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">On June 7, Pelley gave his first interview since the firing and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/scott-pelley-emotional-first-interview-after-60-minutes-firing-11992728\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:stood by his decision;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;stood by his decision&quot;}\" class=\"link \">stood by his decision<\/a> to speak out in the meeting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I felt that somebody had to stand up not just for the broadcast but for the people,&#8221; Pelley said, getting emotional. &#8220;There are people in that room who go to war zones when they are <em>pregnant<\/em>. Newsrooms are sort of like the military or the police or the beautiful people at the FDNY down the street. It is a life-threatening job in many instances. And to have people running CBS News, who don&#8217;t know that, have never felt that, and don&#8217;t understand it, is a tragedy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Read the original article on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/bill-maher-celebrates-scott-pelley-60-minutes-firing-11993265\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Entertainment Weekly;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Entertainment Weekly&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Entertainment Weekly<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Points Bill Maher is pushing back on the claim that Scott Pelley&#8217;s 60 Minutes firing is political interference. The Real Time host dismissed Pelley&#8217;s firing and the other shakeups at CBS News as the company just &#8220;chang[ing] hands.&#8221; Maher added that he &#8220;never liked&#8221; Pelley and doesn&#8217;t think his job is &#8220;that hard.&#8221; Bill [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2450866,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[405480,309127,348516,416706,481420,353825,457600],"class_list":["post-2450865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-60-minutes","tag-bill-maher","tag-bill-whitaker","tag-chris-murphy","tag-political-interference","tag-real-time-with-bill-maher","tag-scott-pelley"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Bill-Maher-cheers-Scott-Pelleys-60-Minutes-firing-I-never.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2450865","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2450865"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2450865\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2450867,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2450865\/revisions\/2450867"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2450866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2450865"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2450865"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2450865"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}