Report Details CBS News Outreach to Hegseth’s Wife for Airman Interview

Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Uber, X and The Free Press-Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters CBS News boss Bari Weiss leaned on Pete Hegseth’s wife to secure an interview with an American airman rescued in Iran, it has emerged.

The airman, identified only as Bravo, spoke to Norah O’Donnell for Sunday’s season premiere of 60 Minutes , which Weiss has sought to revamp during her tenure at the now Trump-friendly network.

Bravo was one of two airmen rescued in April after their F-15E fighter jet was shot down over Iran.

During the interview, Bravo described how he avoided enemy capture for 48 hours and scaled a mountain to be rescued while suffering from a broken back.

He said he survived by living by the “warrior ethos” Hegseth demands of all service members.

The segment—which has faced accusations of being “propaganda”—went ahead after Weiss personally spoke to Jennifer Hegseth to arrange it, sources told Status.

Weiss is said to have a good rapport with Jennifer Hegseth and is seen as instrumental in booking Hegseth to appear on CBS News, even as he largely avoids appearing on other mainstream networks.

“Bari calls her on her cellphone,” a source told Status.

Weiss reportedly leaned on her previously unreported close relationship with Jennifer Hegseth, a former Fox News producer who is known to sit in on meetings with her husband, as the White House was concerned about the interview with the airman.

Those close to President Donald Trump were worried the 60 Minutes segment would remind viewers about Trump’s deeply unpopular war on Iran, with the midterms just weeks away.

There was a back-and-forth throughout the summer over whether the rescue segment should air when 60 Minutes returned, Status reported.

CNN had previously reported that Hegseth and other top Pentagon officials were desperate for both rescued Air Force officers to give interviews on 60 Minutes .

Both airmen were initially skeptical, with one even raising concerns that he could be ordered to take part in the segment.

Sunday’s program also featured sit-down interviews with Hegseth, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen.