’60 Minutes’ journo delivers fiery pro-DEI commencement speech

CBS’s Scott Pelley used his platform during a commencement speech at Wake Forest University to rage about diversity, equity, and inclusion and attack President Donald Trump.

The “60 Minutes” anchor acknowledged that some of the graduating class and guests may not “want to hear what I have to say,” but he marched ahead with his defense of DEI initiatives in a diatribe against Paramount, the corporate owner of CBS.

“I fear there are some people in the audience who don’t want to hear what I have to say today. But I appreciate your forbearance in this small act of liberty,” Pelley told the crowd at the North Carolina university.

(Video Credit: Wake Forest University)

“‘Diversity’ is now described as ‘illegal.’ ‘Equity’ is to be shunned. ‘Inclusion’ is a dirty word. This is an old playbook, my friends. There is nothing new in this. George Orwell – who we met on the street in London – in 1949, he warned of what he called ‘new speak.’ He understood that ignorance works for power,” Pelley continued.

“But it is ignorance that you have repudiated every single day here at Wake Forest University. Who are you? I think we know,” he said.

He also took a shot at President Donald Trump in the wake of his lawsuit against CBS News.

“Why attack universities? Why attack journalism? Because ignorance works for power,” Pelley told the graduates. “First, make the truth seekers live in fear, sue the journalists and their companies for nothing. Then, send masked agents to abduct a college student who wrote an editorial in her college paper defending Palestinian rights and send her to a prison in Louisiana, charged with nothing. Then move to destroy the law firms that stand up for the rights of others.”

“With that done, power can rewrite history with grotesque false narratives. They can make criminals heroes and heroes criminals. Power can change the definition of the words we use to describe reality. Diversity is now described as illegal. Equity is to be shunned. Inclusion is a dirty word. This is an old playbook, my friends. There’s nothing new in this,” he said.

The remarks followed his dire warning that “our sacred rule of law is under attack. Journalism is under attack. Universities are under attack. Freedom of speech is under attack.”

CBS/60 Minutes’ Scott Pelley raged at Trump in angry, unhinged commencement address at Wake Forest:

“In this moment, this morning, our sacred rule of law is under attack. Journalism is under attack. Universities are under attack. Freedom of speech is under attack.”

“And… pic.twitter.com/v8hagfQjbT

— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) May 26, 2025

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung blasted the CBS anchor for never saying Trump’s name.

“If Scott Pelley has something to say, he should be more clear. Otherwise, he’s just another coward hiding behind riddles, like a clown,” Cheung told Fox News Digital.

Last month, Pelley delivered a stunning on-air rebuke of Paramount after the abrupt departure of “60 Minutes” Executive Producer Bill Owens.

’60 Minutes’ reporter drops on air bombshell over boss’s abrupt exit, but viewers are distracted https://t.co/pjFPFnsApG

— BPR (@BIZPACReview) April 28, 2025

“Why am I here today?” Pelley said in closing. “I’m 50 years farther down the trail than you are, and I have doubled back this morning to tell you the one thing I have learned from Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Nadia Marad and Samer Attar and a thousand others: In a moment like this, when our country is in peril, don’t ask the meaning of life. Life is asking, ‘What’s the meaning of you?’”

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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.

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