THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Speaking to reporters at the NATO Summit Wednesday, President Donald Trump unloaded on "scum" CNN, The New York Times and "MSDNC" for their coverage of U.S. military strikes on Iran's nuclear program.
"This was an unbelievable hit by genius pilots and genius people in the military and they're not being given credit for it because we have scum that 's in this group, and not all of you are, you have some great reporters, but you have scum. CNN is scum. MSDNC is scum. The New York Times is scum. They're bad people, they're sick!" Trump said. "What they've done is they're trying to make this unbelievable victory into something less. Now even they admit that it was hit very hard but it wasn't hit hard, it was hit brutally and it knocked it [Iran's nuclear program] out."
"The original word I used, I guess it got us in trouble because it's a strong word, is was 'obliteration.' And you'll see that, it's going to come out," Trump said, adding that the Israelis are expected to produce a damage assessment report soon. "I don't want it for me. I want it for the military. They did such a good job."
At NATO, Trump unloads on “scum” CNN, New York Times and “MSDNC” for “demeaning pilots” and coverage of U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites pic.twitter.com/HAd9W4sOlx
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) June 25, 2025
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On Tuesday CNN published a report citing anonymous officials claiming U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear program did little damage.
"The US military strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities last weekend did not destroy the core components of the country’s nuclear program and likely only set it back by months, according to an early US intelligence assessment that was described by seven people briefed on it," CNN reports. "The assessment, which has not been previously reported, was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon’s intelligence arm. It is based on a battle damage assessment conducted by US Central Command in the aftermath of the US strikes, one of the sources said."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Townhall at the NATO Summit that a criminal leak investigation is underway by the FBI.
NEWS: At NATO, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says a criminal leak investigation is underway after top secret intelligence was released to undermine the U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear program
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) June 25, 2025
Secretary Rubio adds: These are professional “stabbers” manipulating intelligence… pic.twitter.com/j71rWQXlzW
The Israeli Atomic Energy Commission released a statement Wednesday confirming Iran’s nuclear infrastructure was badly damaged.
“The devastating US strike on Fordo destroyed the site's critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable. We assess that the American strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other elements of Iran's military nuclear program, has set back Iran's ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years,” the agency said. “This achievement can continue indefinitely if Iran does not get access to nuclear material.”
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