CBS News is embroiled in a significant internal controversy after abruptly pulling a scheduled 60 Minutes investigative report on a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. The segment, which was heavily promoted, was removed from the broadcast lineup just three hours before it was set to air on Sunday, December 21, 2025.
Journalist Alleges Political Interference
According to an internal email obtained by the New York Times, the report's journalist, Sharyn Alfonsi, claims the decision to spike the story was "political." Alfonsi stated that the report, titled "Inside CECOT," had passed all internal editorial and legal reviews at CBS. The investigation offered a behind-the-scenes look at the Centre for Terrorism Confinement (CECOT), a facility where the Trump administration sent Venezuelan deportees without trial.
In her email to colleagues, Alfonsi expressed frustration that CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss made the decision without discussing it with the reporting team. "In my view, pulling it now, after every rigorous internal check has been met, is not an editorial decision, it is a political one," Alfonsi wrote.
Weiss Cites Need for "Critical Voices"
The network's leadership, however, presents a different rationale. A CBS source told CNN that Weiss was concerned about a lack of response from the Trump administration in the reporting. The segment featured interviews with recently released deportees who described brutal and torturous conditions inside the Salvadoran prison.
Weiss told the New York Times that her role is to ensure stories are the best they can be, suggesting the piece needed more context or critical perspectives. "Holding stories that aren’t ready for whatever reason — that they lack sufficient context, say, or that they are missing critical voices—happens every day in every newsroom," Weiss said. She indicated the network had requested additional reporting and even suggested an interview with White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.
A History of Tension with the Trump Administration
This incident is not the first clash between CBS News and former President Donald Trump. In a previous legal dispute, Trump sued Paramount Global, CBS's parent company, over a 2024 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. That lawsuit resulted in a $16-million settlement for Paramount and an agreement to release interview transcripts with presidential candidates.
More recently, Trump demanded an apology from 60 Minutes after an interview with U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. The current controversy raises fresh questions about editorial independence and the pressure newsrooms face when reporting on powerful political figures. The report's trailer was scrubbed from 60 Minutes' social media accounts, but Weiss stated she looks forward to airing the piece "when it’s ready."
