Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Accuses Natasha Bertrand of Pushing “False Narrative” and Being “Used” by Anti-Trump Insiders
The White House launched a scathing attack on CNN national security correspondent Natasha Bertrand on Thursday, escalating a fiery dispute over her reporting on the effectiveness of recent U.S. strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The press briefing became a charged platform for Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who publicly lambasted Bertrand just a day after President Donald Trump demanded the reporter be “thrown out like a dog.”
READ: U.S. Gas Prices Hit 4-Year Low As Mideast Ceasefire Holds Amid Trump’s Energy Push
The controversy stems from Bertrand’s reporting on a leaked intelligence assessment that suggested the strikes against Iranian sites only set back their nuclear program by months, a significant contrast to the “years” claimed by President Trump and other administration officials. Trump has vehemently dismissed the report as “fake news” and criticized outlets, including The New York Times, for covering the assessment.
Adding fuel to the fire, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also weighed in on Thursday, branding CNN’s initial leaked report as an early, incomplete assessment that is “almost always wrong.” Hegseth maintained the administration’s stance, asserting that Iran’s nuclear sites were “obliterated.”
During the White House press briefing, Leavitt directly called out Bertrand by name, accusing her of being “used” by Washington D.C. insiders with an anti-Trump agenda to “push a false narrative.” Leavitt also alleged that only “bits and pieces” of the initial intelligence report were leaked.
“It was Natasha Bertrand who had 51 intelligence analysts falsely lie to her, but she still put it on paper for some reason, that the Hunter Biden laptop story was Russian disinformation. We all know that’s not true, right?” Leavitt said.
READ: Florida Gov. DeSantis Declares War On ‘Woke’ Academia With New 6-State Accreditor
“This is a reporter who has been unfortunately used by people who dislike Donald Trump in this government to push fake and false narratives. She should be ashamed of herself,” Leavitt declared, then proceeded to instruct Bertrand on the principles of journalism.
“That’s not what reporting is. Journalism is trying to find the facts and the truth,” Leavitt continued. “And this week we saw this same reporter being used to push a fake narrative to try to undermine the President of the United States and more importantly the brave fighter pilots who conducted one of the most successful operations in United States history. And I think the American people fully know that this operation was a complete and total success.”
CNN said on X that it stands “100 percent” behind Bertrand’s reporting.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
