During a NATO summit in the Netherlands, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sharply criticized CNN and The New York Times for their coverage of recent U.S. airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, accusing them of pushing a left-leaning agenda.
Speaking at a press conference, Hegseth said:
“Then the instinct of CNN and New York Times is to try to find a way to spin it for their own political reasons to try to hurt President Trump and our country. They don’t care what the troops think.”
He also condemned leaked intelligence assessments and those exploiting them, adding:
“They don’t care what the troops think… they want to spin it to try to make the President look bad based on a leak. We’ve all seen plenty of leakers. They have agendas.”
The Pentagon briefing comes after a classified report from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), leaked to CNN and NYT, suggested the strikes temporarily slowed—but did not obliterate—Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Trump and senior defense officials have dismissed these assessments, calling them politically motivated and low-confidence analysis.
Context and Reactions
- Operation Midnight Hammer involved B‑2 stealth bombers hitting key underground sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan with massive bunker-buster munitions. The Trump administration maintains the strikes “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program.
- Critics argue the DIA report revealed the strikes caused only moderate damage, prompting charges of misinformation and calls for transparency.
- Hegseth and President Trump have launched an FBI-led leak investigation and rebuked media outlets for what they say is sensationalized reporting undermining national security.
