Anderson Cooper takes thinly veiled dig at Bari Weiss in ‘60 Minutes’ farewell: ‘Independence has been critical’

“I Hope 60 Minutes Remains 60 Minutes”

In an emotional interview for 60 Minutes Overtime, Cooper reflected on the legacy of the program and warned against losing what made the broadcast unique.

“I hope 60 Minutes remains 60 Minutes,” Cooper said. “I think the independence of 60 Minutes has been critical.”

While Cooper never mentioned Weiss directly, many observers interpreted the comments as a veiled criticism of the network’s recent editorial direction under her leadership. Weiss, the former founder of , took over as editor-in-chief of CBS News following Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of her media company in late 2025.

Since then, CBS News has reportedly faced internal turmoil, with staff concerns over editorial interference, political pressure, and changes to the long-standing culture of 60 Minutes.