President Donald Trump on Friday strongly criticized what he termed “treasonous” media coverage of the ongoing U.S. conflict with Iran, directing his comments at New York Times reporter David Sanger during a flight aboard Air Force One.
The exchange took place while traveling back from Beijing, where Trump accused Sanger, the newspaper’s chief Washington correspondent, of misrepresenting U.S. military operations in the region.
“I had a total military victory, but the fake news, guys like you, write incorrectly,” Trump told Sanger. He went on to call the veteran correspondent a “fake guy” and specifically targeted the Times and CNN, labeling them “the worst.”
“I actually think it’s sort of treasonous what you write,” Trump added.
The confrontation developed after Sanger questioned the president regarding the heavy U.S. military operations in Iran, pointing out that the campaign had not triggered political changes within the Iranian government—one of several goals the administration outlined when hostilities began.
The current situation on the ground shows that Iran still possesses its enriched nuclear materials. Additionally, since the initial military strikes, Iran has asserted control over the Strait of Hormuz, effectively restricting traffic through the critical international shipping lane.
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The Trump administration has provided differing public statements regarding whether the United States has successfully achieved its objectives. Meanwhile, the Pentagon maintains that coordinated U.S. and Israeli airstrikes have heavily damaged Tehran’s military infrastructure and disrupted elements of its nuclear development program.
Trump reiterated on Friday that the U.S. military had effectively “knocked out” Iran’s navy, air force, radar installations, anti-aircraft defense networks, and “all of their leaders.” The president also stated that 85 percent of Iran’s missile manufacturing facilities had been completely destroyed.
Sanger’s reporting earlier this month presented a different assessment.
He reported that while the Iranian ayatollah was “clearly gone,” the country’s nuclear stockpile remained completely intact, and neither side seemed close to negotiating a resolution. Sanger also referenced U.S. intelligence briefings indicating that more than 50 percent of Iran’s missiles and launch systems successfully survived the U.S. and Israeli bombardment.
Trump responded by accusing Sanger and The New York Times of actively trying to make it appear as though Iran is “doing well,” telling Sanger he should be “ashamed.”
The administration’s friction with the press extends beyond this mid-air exchange. Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and multiple high-ranking administration officials have expressed ongoing dissatisfaction with how the news media have covered the war, which enters its 12th week on Saturday.
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