Ousted “60 Minutes” anchor Scott Pelley wasted no time in getting in front of a camera to trash his former employer, likening the firings at CBS News to “murders” of close friends and family. Pelley, 68, conceded during a New York Times interview that it may have been a stretch to claim that new boss Bari Weiss had “murdered” his show — but he then went on to argue that the mass terminations were like the “murders” of family members. “No one saw the Black Thursday massacre coming,” Pelley said, arguing that even after he blew up at network execs, it never occurred to him that he might be fired for doing so: “Some reporter I turned out to be. I just didn’t connect the dots.” Scott Pelley is asked if he expected to be fired after his confrontation with new CBS leadership: Pelley: “Oh, gosh. Furthest thing from my mind. It hadn’t occurred to me….Some reporter I turned out to be. I just didn’t connect the dots.” Amazing. https://t.co/bHSJ4yN1qn pic.twitter.com/Vc53xrkzfq — Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) June 7, 2026 “The night before, Tanya and I were at the Emmy Awards, and we won two Emmys. Within hours, all of those people have been wiped out, and one-third of our correspondents have been fired,” Pelley continued. “My colleagues and I have worked together 10, 20, 30 years. We travel together. We dine together. We go into literal combat together.” “So, these bonds are pretty tight, and when somebody wipes out, murders, a large number of your family members, people are desperate for some explanation, and as you and I sit here today, there still has been none,” he added. “It’s like your spouse being murdered.” Near tears, he added, “I am not emotional about this because I have lost this job. I’ve done it for a long time. I’ve had the greatest experiences. But the people I leave behind, treated in this way? That breaks my heart, and it’s going to take me a long time to get over it.” Pelley was also mocked for saying he’d gone “into literal combat” with his CBS colleagues, as people referred to him on X as a “low-rent Brian Williams.” Another joked, “Old Blood ‘n Guts Pelley we used to call him in the trenches.” New “60 Minutes” executive producer Nick Bilton was the one who fired Pelley “for cause,” citing insubordination, but Weiss made it clear during a following staff meeting that she supported the move.