Trump administration criticizes CNN over Iran conflict coverage

White House vs CNN The Pentagon and White House criticized CNN on Friday for its Iran war coverage. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he hoped an ally of former President Donald Trump would take over the network.

Hegseth, a former Fox News host, spoke during a news conference about U.S. military actions near Tehran. He called for a “truly patriotic press” and criticized CNN for a story suggesting the U.S. had underestimated Iran’s power to disrupt oil traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

He called the report “patently ridiculous” and added, “The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.”

David Ellison, head of Paramount Skydance, is set to take control of CNN after completing a major deal with Warner Bros. Discovery. His father, Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison, helped finance the takeover and has supported Trump financially for years.

Earlier, David Ellison promised to protect CNN’s editorial independence. The White House also condemned CNN’s report on the Strait of Hormuz, an important route for global oil trade.

“This story is 100% FAKE NEWS,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X.

“The Pentagon has been planning for Iran’s desperate and reckless closure of the Strait of Hormuz for DECADES, and it has been part of the Trump Administration’s planning well before Operation Epic Fury was ever launched,” Leavitt said.

In response, CNN chief Mark Thompson said that “our only interest is in telling the truth to our audiences in the US and around the world and no amount of political threats or insults is going to change that.”

Trump himself has frequently lashed out at CNN reporters, particularly anchor Kaitlan Collins, whom he scolded in February for failing to “smile” when she was asking him a question about the victims of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.