"There was a thumb on the scale for the president's version of events that I felt was a level of political influence that I had never seen in 37 years at CBS News," Pelley told the newspaper.

The dispute involved a "60 Minutes" segment examining clashes between protesters and federal agents during immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota, including the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

According to Pelley, Weiss sent editorial notes after the report had already been approved for broadcast. He said the suggestions included portraying protesters as more violent and altering language describing the circumstances surrounding Good's death.

"Two of the things in the email include, can we make the protesters look more violent? Now, I'm paraphrasing. I don't have the quote, but that's what was communicated to me," Pelley said. "And the other thing, Renee Good's car. You need to describe her as driving toward the officer."

Pelley said he and his producer had already included footage showing violent confrontations involving protesters and law enforcement. He also said their review of video footage from the shooting involving Good did not support the characterization Weiss wanted added to the segment.

According to Pelley, none of Weiss' suggested changes were incorporated into the final broadcast.

CBS News disputed Pelley's account, issuing a statement to The New York Times defending Weiss' involvement in the editorial process.

"They had no political motivation and were proposed solely to make the piece as strong, fair, and accurate as possible," the network said of Weiss' comments. "As is frequently the case in any newsroom that operates with collaboration, not everything she raised made it into the final piece."

The allegations come days after Pelley was dismissed from CBS News following a reported confrontation with newly appointed "60 Minutes" executive producer Nick Bilton. Pelley told the Times that tensions had been escalating amid layoffs and leadership changes at the flagship news program, including the firing of executive producer Tanya Simon.

The veteran journalist also criticized broader corporate decisions made after Paramount Global, CBS News' parent company, agreed last year to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump. The settlement came shortly before federal regulators approved Paramount's acquisition by Skydance Media.

Pelley characterized the settlement as a "bribe" designed to facilitate approval of the merger, an allegation Paramount has denied.

He further suggested Simon's firing may have been linked to tensions surrounding Anderson Cooper's departure from "60 Minutes." Cooper, whose contract was not renewed, concluded his final appearance on the program by expressing hope that the broadcast would remain true to its traditions.

Pelley said Weiss was angered by Cooper's remarks and the fact that she had not been consulted beforehand.

"My understanding from people directly involved in that interaction is that Bari Weiss was quite livid that Anderson Cooper was allowed to say those things and that she, Bari, was not consulted beforehand," Pelley told the Times. "I believe that was part of the reason Tanya was let go."

CBS News did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding Pelley's claims about Simon's termination or his call for Weiss' removal.

Pelley, who spent 37 years at CBS News as a White House correspondent, anchor of the "CBS Evening News," and correspondent for "60 Minutes," said he believes the network can recover but warned that confidence within the newsroom has been badly damaged.

"They don't know what they're doing," Pelley said. "And there's a subtle political bias that I've never seen at '60 Minutes' before, or at CBS News before. So that is my hope: a return to sanity. We can save this. It's possible to land this plane. But right now, CBS News is on fire."