DID Press: Trump administration has sharply criticized CNN’s coverage of developments in the ongoing conflict with Iran. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, speaking at a press conference, dedicated part of his remarks to attacking the media, particularly CNN, stating he wanted “a truly patriotic media outlet.”
Hegseth, a former Fox News host, reacted to a CNN report claiming that Washington had underestimated Iran’s ability to disrupt tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. He called the report “completely baseless” and added, “The sooner David Ellison takes over management of this network, the better.”
David Ellison, head of Paramount Skydance, is set to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s current owner, in a major deal following his company’s victory over Netflix. He has previously pledged to maintain CNN’s editorial independence. Ellison’s father, Larry Ellison, Oracle founder and one of the world’s wealthiest individuals, is a longtime ally and financial supporter of Donald Trump.
Simultaneously, the White House rejected CNN’s report on the Strait of Hormuz. Press Secretary Caroline Levitt wrote on X that “this report is 100% fake news.” She added that the Pentagon has spent decades planning for a potential Iranian closure of the strait, a scenario accounted for even before the military operations began under the Trump administration.
In response, CNN president Mark Thompson emphasized that the network’s sole purpose is accurate reporting for audiences in the U.S. and worldwide, asserting, “No political threat or intimidation will prevent us from telling the truth.”
Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized CNN in the past, including in February, when he criticized anchor Caitlin Collins for not smiling while asking about victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.