Scott Pelley’s SHOCK SPEECH at elite commencement triggers backlash—Karoline Leavitt says 60 Minutes just EXPOSED its own bias in front of graduating class and stunned faculty members

When Scott Pelley took the podium at a prestigious university’s commencement ceremony, no one expected his speech to veer into controversy—but that’s exactly what happened. The longtime 60 Minutes anchor delivered a bold, politically charged message that left students murmuring and faculty visibly uneasy. But the real storm came afterward, when conservative firebrand Karoline Leavitt publicly condemned Pelley’s remarks as proof that 60 Minutes is no longer committed to journalistic neutrality. Did Pelley go too far, or did he finally say what his network had only implied for years?

Watch the full moment and Leavitt’s fiery response—before it disappears from public platforms.

CBS continues to brand “60 Minutes” as a straight-news program, despite obvious evidence to the contrary. Meanwhile, show anchor Scott Pelley spent his weekend spreading Democratic talking points about Donald Trump at a Wake Forest University commencement speech.

Scott Pelley’s recent commencement speech at Wake Forest University was supposed to be a moment of inspiration for the graduating class of 2025. Instead, it triggered a political firestorm that has rocked both CBS and its flagship program, 60 Minutes. What began as a ceremonial address quickly escalated into a bold political statement that has ignited fierce backlash across the media and political spectrum.

Standing before hundreds of graduates, their families, and faculty members, Pelley began his address in a tone of urgency, warning the crowd that America was at a pivotal moment. “Your country needs you,” he declared. “The country that has given you so much is calling you, the class of 2025. Your country needs you, and it needs you today.” But what followed was far from a traditional call to civic responsibility.

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Instead, Pelley launched into a striking critique of what he described as the deteriorating state of American civil liberties. “Our sacred rule of law is under attack. Journalism is under attack. Universities are under attack. Freedom of speech is under attack. An insidious fear is reaching throughout schools, our businesses, our homes and into our private thoughts,” he said.

He continued, questioning why Americans today are so hesitant to speak their minds. “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.”

For many, the remarks were a surprise—even unsettling. The audience, initially engaged, grew quiet as Pelley’s tone became more sermon-like. Faculty members exchanged uneasy glances, and students could be seen whispering and shifting in their seats. Some attendees applauded the speech’s passion, but others were clearly taken aback by its overtly political nature.

The backlash was swift.

Conservative commentator and political rising star Karoline Leavitt took to social media within hours of the speech going viral. In a fiery video post, she blasted Pelley and CBS, claiming the speech was further evidence that 60 Minutes had abandoned any pretense of journalistic neutrality. “Scott Pelley just stood in front of a room full of bright-eyed graduates and pushed a partisan narrative under the guise of inspiration. This isn’t journalism. It’s propaganda,” Leavitt said.

She continued, “CBS continues to call 60 Minutes a straight-news program, but that label doesn’t hold up when its top anchor is out there pushing Democratic talking points. If this is the kind of messaging CBS endorses, then they owe it to viewers to be honest about their bias.”

Leavitt’s criticism hit a nerve and quickly gained traction. Her remarks were shared by other high-profile conservative figures who echoed her sentiments, accusing CBS and Pelley of weaponizing the platform of a commencement ceremony to push political ideology.

Meanwhile, critics of the backlash pointed out what they considered the hypocrisy of the outrage. Many on the left defended Pelley’s remarks as a much-needed wake-up call, praising him for addressing what they see as the erosion of civil liberties and journalistic freedom in the current political climate.

But the controversy didn’t stop there.

Pelley has previously clashed with his corporate overlords at Paramount. Earlier this year, he criticized the parent company for allegedly pushing to scale back the show’s anti-Trump coverage. In one on-air segment, Pelley hinted that editorial independence at 60 Minutes was being threatened by corporate concerns over political backlash. “Free speech should never be compromised to placate power,” he stated during a broadcast.

Yet critics were quick to call out Pelley’s inconsistency. They pointed to examples from 60 Minutes over the past year, including a heavily edited interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, sympathetic coverage of controversial foreign actors, and segments that many felt unfairly targeted conservative voices. The argument: if Pelley is a champion of free speech, why is his show selectively applying those principles?

The commencement speech, then, has become a lightning rod for a broader debate. It’s no longer just about what Scott Pelley said. It’s about the role of the media in American political life, the boundaries of free expression, and the fine line between journalism and advocacy.

For 60 Minutes, the moment has exposed growing fractures within its brand. Once revered for its hard-hitting investigative journalism, the program has increasingly been accused of editorial slant—a claim that moments like Pelley’s speech seem to validate for its critics.

The fallout continues.

Viewers are now questioning the credibility of one of America’s most iconic news shows. Conservative media outlets have launched scathing critiques of CBS, while liberal commentators have rallied in support of Pelley, calling his remarks courageous. On college campuses, the speech is sparking heated discussions about the purpose of commencement addresses and whether they should include political commentary at all.

As for Karoline Leavitt, her star only seems to be rising. Her sharp rebuke of Pelley has catapulted her further into the national spotlight, solidifying her position as a fearless voice for conservative values in the face of what she calls “mainstream media hypocrisy.”

Scott Pelley has yet to respond directly to the criticism. CBS has also remained silent on the controversy, neither defending nor distancing itself from the speech. Whether this silence is strategic or a sign of internal turmoil remains unclear.

What is clear, however, is that the moment will be remembered. It will be dissected in classrooms, newsrooms, and political war rooms across the country. And it will continue to fuel an already raging debate about where journalism ends and activism begins.

In the age of polarizing media and political division, one thing is certain: Scott Pelley’s commencement speech has become more than a footnote. It’s now a flashpoint. And its impact will be felt far beyond the gates of Wake Forest University.

Stay tuned as the story unfolds—because if this moment is any indication, the battle over media credibility is far from over.