Secretary Hegseth slammed fake news CNN and New York Times.
“Then the instinct of CNN and New York Times is to try to find a way to spin it for their own political reasons to try to hurt President Trump and our country. They don’t care what the troops think.”
“They don’t care what the troops think… they want to spin it to try to make the President look bad based on a leak. We’ve all seen plenty of leakers. They have agendas.”
Watch:
I will always defend @POTUS leadership, especially our skilled and amazing warfighters. https://t.co/2OIAHiOi6X
— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) June 25, 2025
HOLY SMOKES! Pete Hegseth just revealed that the “LEAKED” intel report published by CNN and NYT claiming Trump’s Iran strikes failed actually say, IN the report, it takes “WEEKS” to have a valid assessment and it was NOT coordinated with the intelligence community!
And the… pic.twitter.com/AbfVFq9bkb
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 26, 2025
Hegseth: “You, and I mean specifically you, the press, you cheer against Trump so hard, it’s in your DNA and in your blood to cheer against Trump, because you want him not to be successful so bad, you have to cheer against the efficacy of these strikes.”pic.twitter.com/sQ8WMCz7c2
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) June 26, 2025
The fake news has turned to LEAKS from a preliminary low-confidence report that will continue to be REFINED as additional intelligence becomes available.
HERE ARE THE FACTS: pic.twitter.com/OFJVeIVvB4
— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) June 26, 2025
Sec. Hegseth shifted a sharing of burden investing in the NATO alliance. It is a historic change and he hopes the media will recognize this “huge deal.”
Sec. Hegseth lists all the agencies that explain the breadth and depth of the damage to the Iranian nuclear facilities.
Partial Transcript to 10:57:
“32 NATO countries committed to spending 5% of their GDP on defense, on actually investing in the NATO alliance. So I hope with all the ink spilled, all of your outlets find the time to properly recognize this historic change in continental security that other presidents tried to do. Other presidents talked about, President Trump accomplished it. It’s a huge deal.
“You see, we’re here this morning because in hunting for scandals all the time, in trying to find wedges and and spin stories, the press corps miss historic moments. You miss historic moments like 5% at NATO, which, when you hear – I was in the closed door briefing – I wish there could have been cameras in there, and you heard the prime ministers and presidents of other countries to a man and to a woman looking at President Trump and saying, This, never could have happened. Never would have happened. Seemed impossible, five years ago, two years ago, eight years ago, but here we are because of your leadership.
“If you ask them the question, I bet they’d say the same thing. But searching for scandals, you miss historic moments like recruiting at the Pentagon, historic levels in the Army, the Air Force and the Navy.
“Yeah, maybe there’ll be a little mention here or there, but because it was under President Trump’s leadership, because it was because, because Americans are responding to him as Commander in Chief.
“The press corps doesn’t want to write about it or bring us to the to the topic of the moment, the highly successful strikes in Iran. Let me read the bottom line here. President Trump directed the most complex and secretive military operation in history, and it was a resounding success, resulting in a cease fire agreement and the end of the 12 day war.
“There’s been a lot of discussion about what happened and what didn’t happen. Step back for a second. Because of decisive military action, President Trump created the conditions to end the war. Decimating, choose your word, obliterating, destroying Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
“I want to read some of the assessments that have been provided because whether it’s fake news, CNN, MSNBC or the New York Times, there’s been fawning coverage of a preliminary assessment.
“I’ve had a chance to read it all. Every every outlet has breathlessly reported on a preliminary assessment from DIA. I’m looking at it right now. Again, it was preliminary, a day and a half after the actual strike, when it admits itself in writing that it requires weeks to accumulate the necessary data to make such an assessment.
It’s preliminary. It points out that it’s not been coordinated with the intelligence community at all. There’s low confidence in this particular report. There’s it says in the report. There are gaps in the information. It says in the report multiple linchpin assumptions are … You know what that is. That means your entire premise is predicated on a linchpin. If you’re wrong, everything else is wrong, and yet, still, this report acknowledges it’s likely severe damage. Again, this is preliminary, but leaked because someone had an agenda to try to muddy the waters and make it look like this historic strike wasn’t successful. I
“‘m going to get to the chairman in a moment, because he’s going to lay out the particulars for you based on his professional military experience. But here’s what other folks are saying. The DIA that put that report out says that this is a preliminary low confidence report and will continue to be refined as additional intelligence becomes available.
“How about the Israeli Atomic Energy Commission? The devastating US strikes on Fordow destroyed the site’s critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable. Have any of these quotes made their way into the New York Times or The Washington Post, MSNBC, CNN, any of these quotes? How about this one? This is a new one from the UN the United Nations, no friend of the United States, or certainly Israel often. Here’s the head of the UN Atomic Energy Agency this morning, Rafael grossi. US and Israeli strikes caused enormous damage to Iran’s nuclear sites. Don’t take my word for it. How about the IDF Chief of Staff? I can say here that the assessment is that we significantly damage the nuclear program, setting it back by years. I repeat years. Iranian foreign minister, the spokesman, our nuclear institutions have been badly damaged, that’s for sure. I’m sure that’s an understatement. John Radcliffe, the director of the CIA putting out a statement just last night, CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran’s nuclear program has been severely damaged by recent targeted strikes.
“This includes new intelligence from a historically reliable, very different than preliminary assessment, with low confidence, he’s saying historically reliable and accurate source and method that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years, CIA continues to collect additional reliably sourced information to keep appropriate decision makers fully informed.
“How about DNI? Tulsi Gabbard, yesterday, she writes, and I quote, new intelligence confirms what POTUS has stated numerous times. Iran’s nuclear facilities have been destroyed, Institute for Science and International Security President David Albright. Overall, Israel, and US attacks have effectively destroyed, Mr. Wonderful. Here, my friend Howard Marks is the co founder, acquisition, the gaming giant that was just…”
Watch the full address:
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Given their past records of inaccuracy and outright lying, why would anyone expect honest and factual reporting from CNN, MSNBC, NYT or WA PO? Even Iran’s Foreign Minister and the UN are acknowledging the US attack caused “significant damage” to Iran’s nuclear program. But then, only those who want to believe lies pay any attention to the fake media.
Pete Hegseth is a former “war fighter” who articulately stands up for this country’s current “war fighters”.
OK, so the report is preliminary? So what? I hear no refutations of the content. The outrage is too great. It’s overdone. I saw no outrage when ICE raids were leaked. I did not see wall to wall coverage of it, nor Bondi’s ignoring of criminal referrals. Where are those fireworks Miller claimed would happen 2 days ago over the… Read more »
No, listen to Hegseth – they left out important info. I think the operation was as perfect as it could get, that’s true. The bombs did their best, and we’re not at war.