CBS News’ Scott Pelley delivered a vehemently anti-Trump commencement address, adding to the challenges facing his network as it incited a wave of criticism from Trump’s supporters.
In his speech to the graduating class at Wake Forest, Pelley criticized the president, warning them about an ‘insidious fear’ that has spread across the nation since he was re-elected.
The speech, which quickly went viral, led to Pelley being ridiculed for his theatrical delivery, with conservatives calling him a hypocrite for his tirade on the sanctity of journalism.
But the speech may yet add to turmoil inside CBS as it faces a $20 billion lawsuit from Trump accusing the network of deceptively editing its interview with Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election.
The editing came as CBS’ 60 Minutes program sat down with Harris in October, when she gave a ‘word salad’ response to the Israel-Hamas conflict that was included on a YouTube clip but was mysteriously removed from the broadcast.
Trump alleges that the network tried to manipulate the American people by favoring his election opponent, with his lawsuit seen as a crisis for CBS’s parent company Paramount Global as it enters critical negotiations for a merger.
The huge lawsuit threatens to derail Paramount Global’s anticipated sale to Skydance Media for $8 billion, with Pelley’s inflammatory speech unlikely to warm Trump to the network.
The potential sale of CBS’ parent company to Skydance Media is the subject of a Federal Communications Commission investigation, and must be approved by the FCC’s Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee.
Democratic Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden recently issued a warning to the network warning that any settlement could be considered an illegal payoff.
This may mean Paramount has to fight the lawsuit until its conclusion, with Pelley’s speech likely to fuel the fire from the White House to make the network pay.
Last month, Pelley also went rogue as he rebuked his own corporate bosses live on the air and warned them against appeasing Trump to let the multi-billion-dollar merger go through.
‘Our parent company, Paramount, is trying to complete a merger. The Trump administration must approve it. Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways,’ he said.
‘No one here is happy about it.’
The potential sale of Paramount to Skydance is reportedly critical for its controlling shareholder Shari Redstone, whose family needs the $2.4 billion she would receive in shares to pay their mounting debts or they risk losing billionaire status, per the LA Times.
Pelley’s speech may add to the network’s headaches, after he is already facing a wave of criticism from conservatives for his overtly political commencement speech, with footage of his theatrical mannerisms going viral.
‘In this moment, this morning, our sacred rule of law is under attack,’ he said in the speech.
‘Journalism is under attack. Universities are under attack. Freedom of speech is under attack.’
Pelley raised his arms in the air as he continued: ‘And insidious fear is reaching through our schools, our businesses, our homes and into our private thoughts.’
‘The fear to speak… in America,’ he added while pausing for dramatic effect.
‘Power can re-write history, with grotesque, false narratives. They can make criminals heroes, and heroes criminals.
‘Power can change the definition of the words we use to describe reality. Diversity is now described as illegal. Equity is to be shunned. Inclusion is a dirty word. This is an old playbook, my friends. There is nothing new in this.’
Trump supporters quickly launched on the anchor’s speech, with X users branding him ‘angry and unhinged,’ saying he was making the anti-Trump remarks ‘as he speaks openly and freely in America.’
‘This self-important, sermonizing propagandist is what passes for a legacy media “journalist,”‘ one X user wrote.
‘WTF is up with Scott Pelley?’ another questioned.
‘His speech at Wake Forest graduation was a national disgrace in my opinion. He is not informed and talks only for the liberals… this makes me want to hurl.’
Among those who joined the pile-on against Pelley was Jaunita Brodderick, who once accused former President Bill Clinton of rape.
‘What a pompous POS,’ she wrote on X.
Others branded Pelley a hypocrite for his remarks about the sanctity of journalism, as they pointed to his employer’s allegedly deceptive editing of Harris’ interview during the election campaign.
‘Did Scott Pelley mention that 60 Minutes edited Kamala’s campaign interview, and helped her answer questions?’ one X user responded.
‘Until he does that, his credibility is ZERO.’
