US President Donald Trump has called for the dismissal of CNN Pentagon correspondent Natasha Bertrand for ‘fake news,’ a claim rooted in her coverage of the effectiveness of recent US military action in Iran and her reporting on the Hunter Biden laptop controversy. Trump’s demand for Bertrand’s firing came after she co-authored a CNN exclusive that contradicted his claims that the strikes had obliterated Iran’s nuclear facilities. The report, citing a preliminary US military intelligence assessment, suggested that the strikes had not achieved the level of destruction Trump had asserted. Other media outlets later supported CNN’s findings, adding weight to the report’s credibility.
Trump’s public rebuke of Bertrand was sharp and unequivocal. On his Truth Social account, he wrote, ‘Natasha Bertrand should be FIRED from CNN! I watched her for three days doing Fake News. She should be IMMEDIATELY reprimanded, and then thrown out ‘like a dog.’ The message reflected a pattern of criticism directed at media outlets, particularly for their perceived liberal bias. Despite this, CIA Director John Ratcliffe defended the intelligence findings, stating that a body of credible intelligence indicated Iran’s nuclear program had been severely damaged by the strikes. This statement added a layer of credibility to the report, though it did not settle the dispute between Trump and CNN.
CNN acknowledged the preliminary nature of its Defense Intelligence Agency source and defended its reporters for accurately characterizing the findings, which it claimed were in the public interest. The network also stood by Bertrand in her role covering the Hunter Biden laptop story, which had been a significant point of contention for Trump. While working at Politico, Bertrand authored a widely cited article titled ‘Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former intel officials say,’ which did not make the specific claim that the story was Russian disinfo, but rather noted that the story had ‘all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.’ The laptop, which contained compromising material, had been left at a Delaware repair shop by the former US president’s drug-addicted son, a fact that Trump repeatedly emphasized.
Trump’s criticisms of Bertrand and her reporting reflect a broader pattern of his public attacks on media outlets, which he often accuses of bias or ‘fake news.’ This incident raises questions about the relationship between political leadership and press freedom, as well as the role of media in shaping public perception of national and international events. The controversy over the Hunter Biden laptop adds another dimension to the dispute, highlighting the complex interplay between political narratives, media coverage, and public opinion.