Scott Pelley Lights up Trump Era in Viral Address
Scott Pelley, 72nd Annual Peabody Awards Luncheon Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, 2013. Photo courtesy of Peabody Awards under CC BY 2.0.
When Wake Forest University invited longtime "60 Minutes" correspondent Scott Pelley to deliver its 2025 commencement address, they probably expected gravitas — not a viral bombshell. But what they got was a searing sermon on democracy, fear, and freedom of speech that's set both sides of the political spectrum ablaze.
Pelley, a 36-year CBS veteran known for his calm delivery and buttoned-up reporting, stunned the crowd with a fiery indictment of what he called "an old playbook" threatening journalism, free speech, and the rule of law, according to the New York Post.
He never said Donald Trump's name — but he didn't have to. The references were unmistakable, the timing was precise, and the reaction was immediate.
The Speech That Set Social Media on Fire
On May 19, under Carolina-blue skies and amid the usual caps, gowns, and family selfies, Pelley told the class of 2025, "Our sacred rule of law is under attack. Journalism is under attack. Universities are under attack. Freedom of speech is under attack, and insidious fear is reaching through our schools, our businesses, our homes and into our private thoughts," as reported by the HuffPost.
He didn't name names, but his words echoed the cultural clashes President Trump has ignited since returning to office in January. In recent months, Trump has signed sweeping executive orders targeting DEI initiatives, publicly challenged university leaders over pro-Palestine protests, and doubled down on legal threats to legacy media outlets — including Pelley's own CBS.
"Power can rewrite history with grotesque false narratives," Pelley warned, according to the HuffPost. "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."
Critics Lash Out
The backlash was swift and fierce. Fox News host Laura Ingraham called Pelley "a tool," and "as humorless and uninspiring as he is pessimistic and angry," according to the HuffPost.
"Nothing's changed. Scott's still a whiny liberal and still bitter. What he will never admit is his own role of tanking the credibility of the press he supposedly is so desperate to save ... So Scott's old world has fallen away, and now he is just shouting into the wind with odd gesticulations," she added.
Kayleigh McEnany, former White House press secretary under Trump, went further — calling the remarks a "load of garbage" and even suggesting Pelley "should have been" arrested for politicizing the ceremony, according to the HuffPost.
Others mocked the speech's tone and timing. "Scott Pelley raged at Trump in angry, unhinged commencement address at Wake Forest...as he speaks openly and freely in America," one X user wrote, according to the New York Post.
Supporters Say He Spoke the Truth
But Pelley didn't just have critics. Fans and free speech advocates called his remarks courageous.
Wake Forest University issued a press release praising the address for its "urgency and hope," according to the Daily Beast.
And while the audience reaction during the speech was mixed — some scattered applause, some visible discomfort — it has since gone viral, racking up millions of views and reigniting debate over journalism's role in an age of polarization.
The Bigger Picture: Media, Power, and Free Speech
Pelley's viral moment didn't just reopen old wounds — it reopened a fundamental question of what is the role of journalism in a democracy under pressure?
With Trump's administration locked in legal battles and culture war skirmishes — and CBS facing both internal shakeups and a high-stakes merger requiring Trump administration approval — Pelley's speech has been interpreted as both a personal outcry and a professional stand.
References: Laura Ingraham Has Meltdown Over '60 Minutes' Reporter Criticizing Trump During Speech | '60 Minutes' Reporter Rips Into Donald Trump In Viral Commencement Speech (HuffPost) | '60 Minutes’ Anchor Scott Pelley Ripped for 'Angry, Unhinged’ Commencement Speech Criticizing Trump | MAGA Erupts Over '60 Minutes' Correspondent’s Viral Warnings About Trump
