Republican Congressman Tom Reed on Monday blasted Scott Pelley for his "disgusting" commentary on the shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise, saying the outgoing "CBS Evening News" anchor "should never be employed in the media again."
Pelley, stripped of his role as anchor of "CBS Evening News" by the network, used his final show Friday night to victim-shame Scalise, R-La., and majority whip, who was critically injured in the shooting last week on a Virginia ballfield.
"It's time to ask whether the attack on the United States Congress Wednesday was foreseeable, predictable and, to some degree, self-inflicted," Pelley said. "Too many leaders, and political commentators, who set an example for us to follow, have led us into an abyss of violent rhetoric which, it should be no surprise, has led to violence."
Reed, R-N.Y., was outraged.
"For CBS News' Scott Pelley to describe the brutal shooting of Congressman Scalise as 'self- inflicted' was beyond the pale and further proved that the mainstream media has completely lost any moral compass to guide its journalistic endeavors," Reed said in a statement.
"I call on all Americans to unite against this disgusting display of insensitive arrogance that I never thought I would experience in America's media," Reed wrote.
"Mr. Pelley was scheduled to officially end his tenure as an evening anchor the next evening but for those of us who care about human decency, the end of his time on air, came a day too late.
"Mr. Pelley should be ashamed of himself for doing the despicable deed of blaming the victim. He should never be employed in the media again by any forum or entity."
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