What smart people are saying about Scott Pelley being fired from ’60 Minutes’

The former Fox News anchor criticized the length and tone of Bilton’s memo to Pelley.

“‘Dear Mr. Pelley: You’re fired, effective immediately’ would have been far more impactful and less needy,” Kelly wrote in an X post on Tuesday evening.

Ashlee Vance, the former Bloomberg reporter known for his biography of Elon Musk, was unconcerned about Pelley’s departure.

“The heart and soul of 60 Minutes has been feeling dated for 20 years,” he said on X. “Everything is going to be just fine and likely better.”

T. Becket Adams, who writes for publications including The Hill, suggested it was “almost weird” when star journalists face repercussions for their actions.

“Rare when management in media acts the way normal people expect it to,” he said in an X post.

“No manager would tolerate this type of behavior at a Walmart all-hands meeting, yet we’ve become accustomed to rank unprofessionalism in journalism.”

John Jackson is a commentator and military veteran who says he fought in Ukraine.

In an X post, he said he admired Pelley and praised the importance of his reporting on Izium, a Ukrainian city on the front lines of the war with Russia.

“I like to think after seeing Ukrainians and their resolve, it was even harder to bend the knee to Trump and sacrifice his principles,” Jackson wrote.

Katie Miller worked as Mike Pence’s communications director during his vice presidency and for the Department of Government Efficiency.

“Scott Pelley greatly overplayed his hand,” she said in an X post.

“There isn’t a market for his type of $5 million a year biased journalism. This is what happens when you work to become the story instead of report on it.”

“60 Minutes viewers are boomers who like their consistent Sunday evening programming,” said Mitchell Jackson, a public relations consultant and strategist, known for representing divisive figures such as Candace Owens.

“This will impact ratings.”

“Bari Weiss and company cannot manage — or handle PR. Firing him for cause promises a monthslong fight,” he added, calling the situation a “mess.”

Tim Miller, who was prominent in Jeb Bush’s 2016 presidential campaign, said on X that “60 Minutes” doesn’t “really have another Pelley in the pipeline talent-wise.”

“Survival on reputation and ticking clock nostalgia has its limits,” said Miller, who now works for anti-Trump site The Bulwark.

Miller said the show can only have so many “mid” interviews with the likes of Benjamin Netanyahu and Pete Hegseth, “before it turns into a Sunday morning show.”

The Bulwark is a news and politics website that is often critical of President Donald Trump.