On Wednesday night, Jimmy Kimmel criticized CBS News executives during his monologue on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ for firing Scott Pelley, a long-standing correspondent of ’60 Minutes.’ Kimmel claimed that CBS terminated Pelley for upholding the show’s standards. Kimmel stated that CBS fired a respected journalist because he defended truth and integrity at the show, a beacon of broadcast journalism for 57 years.

Kimmel highlighted that Pelley was frustrated by recent changes at ’60 Minutes.’ Correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, along with executive producer Tanya Simon, were let go. Nick Bilton, the new executive producer, took over Simon’s role under the influence of CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.

Kimmel criticized the new leadership’s decision, accusing them of replacing experienced individuals with someone lacking TV news experience. Pelley reportedly clashed with Bilton over these changes, claiming a collapse of values. As a result, Pelley was dismissed.

Kimmel humorously suggested that CBS might replace ’60 Minutes’ with a show similar to its late-night lineup changes. He referenced the replacement of ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ by ‘Comics Unleashed.’

The night host also mentioned President Donald Trump’s reaction, who had previously criticized Pelley. During an interview with Miranda Devine, Trump deemed Pelley part of a ‘gang of stupid, crooked people.’ Kimmel noted Trump applauded the decision, contrasting Pelley’s alleged gang with his own.

Kimmel tied Trump’s comments to the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on July 24. The dinner had been delayed due to a shooting in April. Kimmel speculated on potential tensions at the event.

According to The Associated Press, Bilton accused Pelley of staging an ‘ambush’ during a staff meeting, citing incivility. CBS News did not comment on the dismissal. Pelley later stated ’60 Minutes’ had ‘lost its DNA’ and accused CBS leaders of encouraging falsehoods and bias in his work.

Weiss informed staff that trust had been broken but claimed CBS sought reconciliation. Pelley disputed this, denying any CBS executive proposed such reconciliation.

Fox News Digital attempted to reach the Trump administration for a response but did not receive one immediately. CJ Womack, an associate editor at Fox News, has been part of the team since 2026 and emphasizes journalism’s role in politics and culture. Womack graduated from Long Beach State University in 2025 with a degree in Political Science and a Journalism minor.