President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth didn’t hold back at a NATO summit press conference, torching the media for casting doubt on the success of U.S. strikes against Iran’s nuclear program.
Speaking from The Hague, Trump cited a statement from Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission confirming the devastation. “‘The devastating U.S. strike on Fordow destroyed the site's critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility totally inoperable,’” Trump read aloud.
He said the strikes had set Iran’s nuclear ambitions back by years, possibly permanently—if Iran can’t get new nuclear material. “They’re very serious people, as you know,” Trump said of the Israeli agency.
But the president saved his fiercest words for U.S. media outlets, accusing them of undermining the military’s success. “Fake news CNN” and The New York Times were the main targets of his anger.
Trump said American pilots were “devastated” by media reports downplaying their mission. “They put their lives on the line, and then scum reporters come out and trash them,” he said.
He recounted a call from Missouri, where the pilots were based, saying they felt personally attacked by negative press coverage. “They were devastated because the media didn’t want to give them credit,” Trump said.
Hegseth, who stood beside Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, didn’t hold back either. He accused legacy media outlets of spinning the story to hurt Trump, regardless of the military’s achievements.
“These pilots flew 36 hours into enemy territory. They performed with unbelievable skill,” Hegseth said. “And what does CNN do? Try to twist it. Try to leak parts of the story to make Trump look bad.”
Hegseth slammed the media’s “instinct” to smear the president at the expense of the truth. “They don’t care what the troops think,” he said. “They only care about the narrative.”