'60 Minutes' Is 'Dead,' Anonymous CBS Staffer Claims — As Show Is Accused of 'Propaganda' Following Pete Hegseth Interview

CBS just suffered another blow – and this time the network's golden show, 60 Minutes, is reportedly under attack from inside.

The season's opening already left internal upheaval as an anonymous staffer worried they show was "dead," RadarOnline.com has learned.

In the episode of the latest season, interviews featured a common theme: military. In Sunday's episode, an Air Force pilot shot down in Iran was asked to speak.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth additionally sat down for an exclusive conversation.

“The show is dead,” an anonymous senior CBS News staffer told reporter Justin Baragona. “We’re just looking at some Frankenstein of bits sewn together of mismatched pieces.”

There was also concern around Norah O'Donnell, who conducted both interviews. Another staffer claimed the journalist was not interested in standing on moral convictions. Instead, they alleged she is "absolutely willing to play the part of dimwit reporter used as a propaganda tool."

The insider claimed she was throwing her own journalistic ethics away for the chance to lead the network during its internal shift.

The network has already been facing mounting scrutiny under CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss, who axed major legacy reporters on the TV show, including Scott Pelley.

O'Donnell was subsequently accused of going soft for Hegseth by critics online.

"You asked him 100 percent softballs. No pushback. Pathetic. Propaganda," wrote one person on X.

Another person also dubbed the segment "propaganda," joining the ongoing concern about CBS' viewpoint under President Donald Trump's administration.

A third added, "Don't ever want to see Hegseth on a national platform with softball questions. Unqualified, arrogant. He is putting US servicemembers in harm's way without thought to their care."

Weiss' takeover of the newsroom, which may spread to CNN, began after David Ellison was appointed CEO of Paramount, CBS News' parent company. She quickly faced public scrutiny after a Trump-critical 60 Minutes episode was pulled at the last moment, claiming the decision was made due to political bias.

Insiders also claimed Hegseth played a significant role in securing the Air Force member's interview.

According to CNN, Hegseth and appointees in his department pushed for two crew members to participate. Ultimately, only one of the two men in the April incident agreed to the conversation after both expressed concerns in participating, sources said.

Hegseth reportedly held a private meeting with the servicemen, swaying one to appear without identifying himself. The individuals' identities remain unknown.

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell later denied the claim.

"This entire story is a complete lie," he said in a statement. "The decision to participate in the interview was each pilot’s alone – because it is their story."

“As CNN notes, one pilot decided to participate and one did not. Additionally, the Department took great care to ensure operational security, sources, and methods were protected," he continued. "To suggest otherwise is to denigrate every member of our military who participated in and supported the interview.”

Allegedly, even higher-ranking members of the military were worried the segment could pose a risk to military tactics – but critics claimed Hegseth was primarily focused on shaping a narrative around the United States' aggression in Iran.

General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff allegedly expressed those reservations. However, a spokesman for Caine, Joseph Holstead, noted he would not “comment on agenda-driven sources, anonymous sources’ characterizations, other than to reiterate the story here remains that the Joint Force will do everything possible to ensure no one gets left behind.”