Hegseth Accused of Pressuring Airmen for 60 Minutes Interview, Pentagon Denies Claims

U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth allegedly pressured airmen to appear on 60 Minutes, but Pentagon denies the report.

September 13, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C. — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is accused of pressuring two airmen who were shot down over Iran to participate in an interview with Bari Weiss’s ‘60 Minutes’ program, according to a report from CNN.

The allegations suggest that Hegseth and members of his office urged the airmen, who were rescued in April, to speak with the network, despite concerns raised by other military officials about the potential disclosure of classified information. One of the airmen agreed to the interview, while the other declined, though neither has been officially identified by the Pentagon.

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CBS News was among several media outlets seeking to secure interviews with the airmen, with sources indicating that Weiss prioritized the story and reached out to Hegseth directly. The Pentagon has denied the claims, calling the report a “complete lie” and emphasizing that the decision to participate in the interview was entirely up to the individuals involved.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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