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The White House sent a statement to CBS saying it did not use the “60 Minutes” CECOT segment, which was delayed by network editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, in which she called on the show to amplify the stories of angel parents.
CNN media analyst Brian Stelter wrote on Tuesday, “As soon as ’60 Minutes’ finalized its ‘Inside CECOT’ report last Thursday, CBS sent a request for comment to the White House. A WH spokesperson responded within a few hours. The quote was not included in the ’60’ report – so, you decide for yourself whether it should have been included or not.”
According to the New York Times, the statement from White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said, “60 minutes of time and energy should be spent publicizing the stories of Angel parents whose innocent American children have been tragically murdered by vicious illegal aliens like President Trump.” [sic] Being deported from the country.”
CBS, Bari Weiss face growing criticism from liberal critics over ’60 Minutes’ segment
“60 Minutes” ran a segment titled “Inside CECOT” a few hours before it aired. (Screenshot/CBS News)
Fox News Digital contacted CBS and the White House for comment.
Hours before “Inside CECOT” was to air on Sunday, “60 Minutes” released a statement saying the segment was being delayed after “it was determined it needed additional reporting.” The segment, which was leaked online after it aired in Canada, features correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi Interviewing Venezuelan deportees who were sent to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador after being deported by the Trump administration.
Fox News Digital reported that CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss decided to delay the segment after determining that, while the interviews were “powerful”, the story ultimately “didn’t move the ball forward” and “wasn’t ready.”
While the White House statement in this section was removed, it included a clip of White House Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt saying of the Venezuelan men deported in March, “These are heinous monsters, rapists, murderers, kidnappers, sexual attackers, predators who have no right to be in this country and must be held accountable.”
Who is Sharyn Alfonsi? ’60 Minutes’ correspondent is accusing Seacott of political interference in her story
Sharyn Alfonsi (left) has accused Bari Weiss (right) of withholding her “60 Minutes” story for political reasons, not editorial. (Michelle Crowe/CBS via Getty Images; Noam Galai/Getty Images for The Free Press)
Alfonsi accused Weiss of spinning the story on political grounds and suggested in a memo that the administration was silent when he asked for an interview. However, it has been reported that the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security, as well as the White House, sent on-the-record statements that were not included in this section.
“Our story was checked five times and cleared by both CBS lawyers and Standards and Practices,” Alfonsi wrote on Monday. “That is factually correct. In my view, pulling it now after every rigorous internal investigation has been completed is not an editorial decision, it is a political decision.”
He added, “If the administration’s refusal to participate becomes a legitimate reason for bumping a story, then we have effectively handed them a ‘kill switch’ for any reporting they find inconvenient.”
Bari Weiss reportedly ‘stunned’ ’60 Minutes’ team by asking why the country thinks she’s ‘biased’: Report
The entire segment aired in Canada via Canada’s Global TV app and spread rapidly online on Monday. The video did not include any sit-down interviews with Trump officials or any statements from the administration other than a brief clip of Levitt and another short clip of President Donald Trump praising El Salvador’s tough prison system.
The White House reportedly sent a statement criticizing “60 Minutes” for focusing on people deported to CECOT instead of angel parents. (John Moore/Getty Images)
Alfonsi noted on “60 Minutes” that the Department of Homeland Security declined an interview request and referred CECOT questions to the El Salvadoran government, which did not respond to his request.
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Fox News’ David Rutz contributed to this report.
