During a NATO summit press conference in The Hague, President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth launched a sharp critique of the media for questioning the effectiveness of recent U.S. military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The president and his deputy defense secretary accused outlets such as CNN and the New York Times of disseminating what they called ‘fake news’ by casting doubt on the success of the operation, which Trump claimed had completely obliterated Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Trump read a statement from Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission, which confirmed that the strikes had ‘devastated’ the site and rendered Iran’s enrichment facilities ‘totally inoperable.’
Trump’s remarks came after a growing chorus of media outlets, including CNN and the New York Times, reported that the strikes may not have fully destroyed Iran’s nuclear sites. The White House has dismissed these reports as unreliable, citing a leak from an unnamed intelligence source who provided incomplete or misleading information. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized the media for leaking classified data, and accused CNN of having a history of publishing ‘fake news,’ including a controversial story about Hunter Biden’s laptop. CNN, however, has defended its reporting, stating that its assessment has since been corroborated by other media outlets and that it stands by its original coverage.
Hegseth, who joined Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the summit, echoed the president’s frustrations. He accused the media of attempting to ‘spin’ the story for political motives, claiming that outlets like CNN and the New York Times were working to ‘malign’ the U.S. military by downplaying the success of the mission. Hegseth emphasized the bravery of U.S. pilots who conducted the strikes, calling the operation a ‘spectacular military success.’ He argued that the media’s coverage was driven by a desire to ‘discredit’ the administration and the military, rather than to inform the public accurately.
Trump also expressed concern about the media’s influence on public perception of the mission, noting that the pilots and support personnel had been ‘devastated’ by what they described as a ‘scum’ media that sought to undermine the mission’s success. He described the pilots as having ‘put their lives on the line’ and stressed that their sacrifices should not be ‘maligned’ by the press. The administration has framed the debate as a battle between ‘truth’ and ‘fake news,’ with Trump and Hegseth insisting that the strike had been a resounding success and that the media’s skepticism was an attack on the military’s credibility.
In his address to the nation following the strikes, Trump claimed that the U.S. military had ‘completely and totally obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear facilities, calling the operation a ‘spectacular success.’ He accused Iran of long-standing hostility toward the U.S. and Israel, and warned that further attacks would be ‘far greater and a lot easier’ if Iran does not comply with demands for peace. The administration’s stance has further polarized public opinion, with some media outlets continuing to challenge the official narrative, while others have aligned with the White House in declaring the strikes a ‘complete success.’ The controversy has intensified discussions around media accountability, the role of intelligence leaks, and the political dynamics shaping coverage of U.S. military operations abroad.