Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized his former Fox Information colleague Jennifer Griffin as “about the worst, the one who misrepresents the most intentionally what the president says” in a Pentagon information convention Thursday.
Griffin, Fox’s chief nationwide safety correspondent, mentioned that “I take issue with that” and defended her reporting on the U.S. bombing of Iran’s nuclear amenities.
Hegseth, a Fox Information anchor earlier than President Donald Trump appointed him protection secretary, repeatedly criticized the media and questioned its patriotism for its reporting on an preliminary evaluation of the weekend’s bombing that questioned how a lot injury was achieved to Iran’s nuclear program.
The assault on Griffin was notable as a result of, lower than a yr in the past, she and Hegseth shared the identical employer — a information community that has seen its fame in Trump’s eyes rise and fall haphazardly over the previous decade.
Griffin had requested Hegseth about whether or not there was any certainty that extremely enriched uranium was saved on the mountain bunker bombed by the U.S., given satellite tv for pc photographs that confirmed greater than a dozen vehicles had been seen there two days prematurely.
“Of course, we’re watching every single aspect,” Hegseth mentioned. “But, Jennifer, you’ve been about the worst, the one who misrepresents the most intentionally what the president says.”
Fox administration had no rapid touch upon what Hegseth mentioned. Fox analyst Brit Hume referred to as it an assault she didn’t deserve. “Her professionalism, her knowledge and her experience are unmatched,” Hume mentioned.
Hume did appear to criticize, nevertheless, different information organizations for reporting on the preliminary evaluation by the U.S. Protection Intelligence Company. “It is typical of the media in our age that any negative report that you can put your hands on in the aftermath of the United States military action is going to be highlighted, played up and so,” he mentioned, saying it was disappointing.
White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned Thursday that the administration is investigating who’s chargeable for leaking a duplicate of the intelligence company’s report. The information reporting clearly angered Trump, for the reason that report’s preliminary conclusions contradicted the president’s statements that the bombing resulted in “total obliteration” of Iran’s nuclear program.
For a second day, the administration centered its anger on CNN reporter Natasha Bertrand who helped break the story. CNN, which mentioned Wednesday that it stood 100% behind Bertrand’s journalism, continued to defend her Thursday and mentioned its reporting on the Trump administration’s personal report was by no means meant to decrease the navy’s efforts.
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David Bauder writes concerning the intersection of media and leisure for the AP. Comply with him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.
