White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller has called for the dismissal of producers involved in a controversial segment of CBS’s 60 Minutes that was abruptly removed from its scheduled broadcast on December 24, 2025. During an appearance on Fox News, Miller criticized the internal backlash against Bari Weiss, the CBS News Editor-in-Chief, for her decision to spike the report, which was set to cover conditions at the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT), a Salvadoran prison linked to the deportation of migrants under the Trump administration.
Miller described the producers’ dissent as a “revolt” and insisted that those opposing Weiss’s editorial judgment should be fired. He stated, “Every one of those producers at ‘60 Minutes’ engaged in this revolt. Fire them, clean house, fire them,” emphasizing his disapproval of the staff’s actions. The segment was intended to shed light on the treatment of migrants with alleged gang affiliations, raising questions about the ethical responsibilities of media coverage.
According to sources within CBS, discontent among the staff has reached a boiling point, with some threatening to resign over Weiss’s editorial choices. An anonymous editor from 60 Minutes expressed frustration, stating that Weiss’s decision was more political than editorial, implying that it compromised journalistic integrity.
The controversy escalated when a memo from journalist Sharyn Alfonsi, who reported the piece, was leaked to the media. In it, she condemned the cancellation of her segment as a politically motivated maneuver rather than an editorial choice. Alfonsi’s report, which was later broadcast in Canada by mistake, had been scheduled to air just hours before the episode went live in the United States.
Weiss defended her decision in a conversation with New York Times, asserting that her role is to ensure all published stories are thoroughly vetted. “Holding stories that aren’t ready for whatever reason… happens every day in every newsroom,” she noted, adding that she looked forward to presenting the story when it is suitable.
Miller’s comments reflect a broader tension within CBS News, especially following Weiss’s appointment as head of CBS News just two months prior. Industry insiders have raised concerns about her approach to leadership, with some describing her as a “chaos agent” who prioritizes access over journalistic integrity. One source remarked that Weiss’s handling of the situation demonstrated a lack of experience and understanding of the newsroom dynamics.
The fallout from this incident arrives as David Ellison, the new owner of CBS parent company Paramount, pursues a contentious bid to acquire Warner Bros-Discovery. Critics of Weiss believe that her leadership style may have serious implications for the credibility of CBS News, which has faced scrutiny in recent months.
As the controversy unfolds, the reception of Weiss’s decisions has divided opinion within the media landscape, with some viewing it as a necessary disruption and others perceiving it as mismanagement. The future of the reported segment remains uncertain, as CBS News continues to grapple with internal dissent and public scrutiny.
