A senior White House official has demanded the mass dismissal of CBS News staff following an internal revolt over a spiked television report on the treatment of deported migrants in El Salvador. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller called for producers at the flagship programme 60 Minutes to be fired after the network's controversial editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, pulled a segment investigating the notorious CECOT prison.
A 'Revolt' Over a Spiked Investigation
The crisis erupted after The Independent reported that Weiss faced a staff rebellion for her last-minute decision to kill a story entitled "Inside CECOT." The investigative piece, scheduled to air on Sunday, featured journalist Sharyn Alfonsi interviewing inmates at the Salvadoran facility, where they detailed allegations of severe abuse suffered after being deported from the United States.
Reacting to the news of the internal dissent, Miller launched into a furious tirade on Fox News on Tuesday evening. "Every one of those producers at 60 Minutes engaged in this revolt — clean house and fire them, that's what I say," he declared to host Charlie Hurt. Miller disparaged the producers as living in "west end condos" while trying to generate sympathy for what he called "monsters" held in the prison.
Conflicting Accounts and a 'Kill Switch' Warning
The reasons for spiking the segment have become a point of fierce contention. According to The New York Times, Weiss stated she pulled it because it failed to present the administration's argument for sending migrants to CECOT. She reportedly requested numerous edits, including a suggestion to add a fresh interview with Stephen Miller.
However, when asked on air if he had been contacted for the story, Miller claimed, "I don't remember getting anything... I don't remember anybody reaching out to me." He dismissed the report as a "pathetic 60 Minutes hatchet job."
In a defiant email to her 60 Minutes colleagues, journalist Sharyn Alfonsi pushed back, stating that her team had sought responses and interviews from the Department of Homeland Security, the White House, and the State Department but received none. "Government silence is a statement, not a veto," Alfonsi wrote. She issued a stark warning: "If the administration’s refusal to participate becomes a valid reason to spike a story, we have effectively handed them a ‘kill switch’ for any reporting they find inconvenient."
Leaked Footage and Allegations of Torture
Despite being pulled from CBS, the segment entered public view after a recording was broadcast on Canada’s Global Television Network and subsequently leaked online. The footage, which appears to have been preserved on archival websites, contains harrowing accounts from deportees.
Multiple individuals in the video describe torture, beatings, and systemic abuse. One Venezuelan deportee reported being subjected to sexual abuse and solitary confinement as punishment. Another claimed guards broke his bones upon his arrival at the prison. "When you get there, you already know you're in hell. You don't need anyone to tell you," he said.
The report also featured legal experts questioning the haste of the deportations amidst pending judicial decisions. In response to the growing scandal, Weiss convened a "big managers' crisis meeting" at CBS News' New York offices, where she assured attendees the segment was not dead and would eventually air.
