Archive · 14 Sep 2026
Hegseth Reportedly Pressed Downed Airman for ‘60 Minutes’ Story
A U.S. airman was rescued after being downed, and news organizations wanted to interview him.
CBS’s “60 Minutes” was one program seeking the interview.
Other major outlets were also reportedly trying to reach the pilot.
The story involved the pilot’s rescue and Iran.
Weiss reportedly worked hard to secure the interview for her team.
She contacted people in the Trump administration and Hegseth.
Sources said Hegseth pushed the airman to tell the rescue story.
The reports do not identify the other networks or explain when the interview occurred.
Hegseth reportedly pushed a rescued U.S. airman to discuss the Iran rescue story on “60 Minutes.”
Multiple major news outlets were reportedly competing to interview the rescued pilot.
CBS was not the only network pursuing the interview.
Weiss made securing the interview a top priority for her team, according to sources.
Weiss reportedly contacted Trump administration officials and Hegseth to help arrange the interview.
- Who
- Hegseth, Weiss, CBS’s “60 Minutes,” multiple major news outlets, and a rescued U.S. airman.
- What
- News organizations competed to interview the rescued airman about the Iran rescue story, while Hegseth reportedly encouraged him to tell it.
- Where
- The story concerns Iran, but the articles do not specify where the interview arrangements occurred.
- Why
- CBS and other networks wanted to secure the pilot’s account of the rescue.
- Program
- CBS’s “60 Minutes”
- Subject of interview
- A rescued U.S. airman
- Story focus
- The airman’s rescue involving Iran
- Competition
- Multiple major outlets reportedly pursued the interview
- Reported role of Hegseth
- He reportedly pushed the airman to tell the rescue story
- Weiss’s involvement
- She made securing the interview a top priority
- Reported outreach
- Weiss contacted Trump administration contacts and Hegseth