Real Reason Anderson Cooper Left CBS News Amid Bari Weiss & Trump's Hostile Takeover
IHIP News
Jennifer Welch & Angie Sullivan
4.8 • 4.6K Ratings
🗓️ 28 February 2026
⏱️ 20 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
We are joined by journalist Oliver Darcy to understand the massive shake up inside CBS.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Today I am joined by former CNN senior media reporter. |
| 0:09.0 | He left CNN and founded status, an independent media industry newsletter and podcasts. |
| 0:16.0 | Welcome to IHIP News, Oliver, how are you today? |
| 0:20.0 | I'm doing well. How are you? Very well. I mean, I say that, but then you think about what's |
| 0:25.1 | going on with the government and you're like, can I say that? It's this weird split screen life |
| 0:29.2 | that we're living. I'll tell you, I'm not doing as well as Cash Patel in that locker room. |
| 0:33.9 | Oh my God. That is so bad, Oliver. It's just so embarrassing that the head of the FBI |
| 0:43.8 | is behaving that way and stealing valor. Yeah, quite a moment. But we'll try to be as amped up as him. |
| 0:55.9 | Okay. Let's get to the CBS and Barry Weiss and Anderson Cooper leaving 60 minutes. |
| 1:06.2 | You broke this story. And what is the real reason why Anderson Cooper left 60 minutes? |
| 1:12.6 | Well, officially, as you know, he cited family and saying he wants to spend more time with |
| 1:18.6 | kids. But the reality is, behind the scenes, he had grown quite uneasy with the direction |
| 1:24.6 | CBS News was taking under Barry Weiss and under David Ellison's ownership. |
| 1:29.8 | And that's according to two people familiar with his decision making on this. |
| 1:34.3 | He was offered a renewal deal. |
| 1:36.3 | CBS News came to him. They wanted him to renew. |
| 1:39.3 | In fact, they not only wanted him to renew, they wanted to make him the face of 60 minutes and expand |
| 1:44.8 | his footprint at the network. Barry Weiss was very keen on this. But at the end of the day, |
| 1:49.8 | I think he decided that he didn't really feel comfortable being associated with Barry Weiss's |
| 1:56.3 | version of 60 Minutes, her version of CBS News. And, you know, Anderson Cooper does not need the money. |
| 2:03.4 | He already has a CNN show. He has a hit podcast. And so he ultimately decides, I'm just |
| 2:09.7 | going to pass on this. I'm not going to be here. And I think the real question is, what happens |
... |
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