Anderson Cooper exits ’60 Minutes’ as correspondent

Anderson Cooper is leaving “60 Minutes” after nearly two decades on the long-running CBS News program. 

Cooper, who is a primetime anchor on CNN, will reportedly keep all of his focus on the full-time cable gig going forward. Cooper joined “60 Minutes” as a rotating correspondent in 2007.

The exit was first reported by Breaker Media. 

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Anderson Cooper is leaving “60 Minutes” as a correspondent after nearly 20 years. (Dominik Bindl/Getty Images)

According to the report, Cooper told the network weeks ago that he was declining the renewal offer being made to him.

CBS News did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital‘s request for comment. 

It is unclear what motivated Cooper’s exit from “60 Minutes,” but it comes weeks after his colleague Sharyn Alfonsi clashed with their new boss, CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, over a report that Weiss deemed wasn’t ready for air. 

WHO IS SHARYN ALFONSI? ’60 MINUTES’ CORRESPONDENT IS ALLEGING POLITICAL INTERFERENCE IN HER STORY ON CECOT

Cooper was among a rotation of correspondents on CBS News’ long-running magazine show “60 Minutes.” (Screenshot/CBS News)

In December, Weiss pulled Alfonsi’s segment on the Center for Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT) shortly before it was set to air. Alfonsi defiantly told colleagues she believed it was a political decision while Weiss sought to include voices from the Trump administration. 

The segment ultimately aired in January, but Weiss and CBS News faced tense blowback from liberal critics.

CBS, BARI WEISS FACING MOUNTING BACKLASH FROM LIBERAL CRITICS OVER YANKING ’60 MINUTES’ SEGMENT

“60 Minutes” correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi accused her new boss Bari Weiss of playing politics by initially pulling her CECOT report in December. (Michele Crowe/CBS via Getty Images;)

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