The mainstream media has always had it out for Donald Trump. But this took things to a whole new level.
As this leftist 60 Minutes host has an aneurysm during an unhinged Trump rant.
Scott Pelley’s Commencement Speech Sparks Outrage
Veteran “60 Minutes” anchor Scott Pelley sparked a firestorm of criticism after delivering a commencement address at Wake Forest University on May 19, where he unleashed a dramatic warning about the state of America.
Detractors labeled the CBS newscaster’s speech as “angry” and “unhinged,” accusing him of turning a celebratory moment into a platform for a fear-charged tirade against President Donald Trump.
In his speech to the graduating class, Pelley painted a grim picture, claiming that “insidious fear” has seeped into the fabric of American life, threatening schools, businesses, and even personal thoughts.
“Your country needs you — the country that has given you so much is calling you, the class of 2025, your country needs you today,” he declared.
“This morning our sacred rule of law is under attack. Journalism is under attack, universities are under attack, freedom of speech is under attack and insidious fear is reaching throughout schools, our businesses, our homes and into our private thoughts,” Pelley continued.
He went on to address the fear of speaking out in America, invoking Lincoln’s famous phrase: “If our government is, in Lincoln’s phrase ‘of the people, by the people, for the people,’ then why are we afraid to speak? Ignorance works for power. Power can change the definition of the words we used to describe reality. This is an old playbook, my friends. There is nothing new in this.”
The address, which received only tepid applause at the ceremony, ignited a wave of backlash online, with many slamming Pelley’s theatrical delivery and doomsday rhetoric as out of place for a graduation. Social media platforms buzzed with reactions, as users mocked the anchor’s grave tone.
“Scott Pelley raged at Trump in angry, unhinged commencement address at Wake Forest…as he speaks openly and freely in America,” one X user quipped, highlighting the irony of Pelley’s claims about suppressed speech.
Others were less restrained, with one commenter branding Pelley a “self-important, sermonizing propagandist” masquerading as a journalist. Another called the speech a “national disgrace,” while Juanita Broaddrick, who has long accused former President Bill Clinton of assault, didn’t mince words, labeling Pelley a “pompous POS.”
🚨CBS/60 Minutes’ Scott Pelley raged at Trump in angry, unhinged commencement address at Wake Forest:
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) May 26, 2025
"In this moment, this morning, our sacred rule of law is under attack. Journalism is under attack. Universities are under attack. Freedom of speech is under attack."
"And… pic.twitter.com/v8hagfQjbT
Allegations of Hypocrisy
Critics also seized on Pelley’s association with “60 Minutes,” pointing to a $20 billion lawsuit filed by Trump against CBS, alleging the program manipulated an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris during her unsuccessful presidential campaign last fall.
“Did Scott Pelley mention that 60 Minutes edited Kamala’s campaign interview, and they helped her answer questions ???” one X user questioned, adding, “Until he does that, his credibility is ZERO.”
Mediation for the lawsuit began earlier this month, adding fuel to the accusations of hypocrisy leveled at Pelley.
The controversy has cast a spotlight on the veteran journalist, with many questioning whether his commencement address crossed a line from inspiration to alarmism, overshadowing what should have been a moment of celebration for Wake Forest’s class of 2025.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
