CBS legends privately sound alarm after Trump ‘bargaining chip’ deal: report

Two veteran “60 Minutes” correspondents privately expressed concern about remaining with the CBS news program as it struggles with the fallout from a deal involving President Donald Trump, according to a new report.

Lesley Stahl and Bill Whitaker were overheard discussing their “trepidation about staying with the show” during a gathering for a former colleague, Variety reported Wednesday. Whitaker indicated that he intends to uphold the show’s traditions, while Stahl has continued pursuing stories.

The legendary correspondents’ concerns are the latest fallout to emerge from the network’s eyebrow-raising dealings with Trump.

“The show was turned into a bargaining chip between Paramount’s previous managers and the Trump administration,” Variety reported, adding that the company agreed to pay Trump $16 million while seeking to complete its sale to Skydance.

“60 Minutes” has since lost two senior editors and three veteran correspondents: Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega and Scott Pelley. The bombshell departures have reportedly left the program scrambling to prepare for its 59th season.

“With thin experience at the top and no real bank of stories to fall back on, the staff is going to have to work like hell just to get the show on the air every week,” one person familiar with the show told Variety.

Another insider questioned whether the new team could respond to a major breaking story: “I have no idea how this team is equipped to do something like that.”

But the show must go on.

“The facts are in: At summer’s end, ’60 Minutes’ has no time left for immediate self-improvement, and a season of shows that need to be filled,” Variety said.