Pete Hegseth slams CNN over ‘patently ridiculous’ reporting on Iran war

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth brought the hammer down on CNN, frustrated over the network’s reporting about the war in Iran.

Mr. Hegseth took a beat during a Friday press conference, which provided updates on the war against Iran, to say that the “sooner” Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison “takes over that network, the better.”

He lashed out at the news network’s reporting on Operation Epic Fury, which is closing its second week, particularly over a story about the Trump administration underestimating the war’s impact on the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow channel controlled on three sides by Iran — the choke point for shipping from the region.

“Fake news from CNN reports that the Trump administration underestimated the Iran war’s impact on the Strait of Hormuz. Patently ridiculous, of course. For decades, Iran has threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” Mr. Hegseth said. “This is always what they do, hold the strait hostage. CNN doesn’t think we thought of that? It’s a fundamentally unserious report. The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.”

CNN reported that “the Pentagon and National Security Council significantly underestimated Iran’s willingness to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to U.S. military strikes while planning the ongoing operation.”

President Trump’s national security team “failed to fully account for the potential consequences of what some officials have described as a worst-case scenario now facing the administration,” it continued, citing unnamed sources.

A CNN spokesperson said, “We stand by our reporting.”

Mr. Hegseth, a former Fox News host, seems to be rooting for Paramount Skydance to close its $111 billion deal to acquire CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.

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After the proposal was made public, Mr. Ellison promised to maintain CNN’s editorial independence.

The president has expressed his support for the Ellisons, describing the family as “great” and “friends” following the Skydance-Paramount merger.

Meanwhile, with Mr. Ellison’s Paramount running CBS, Mr. Trump last year said he anticipated “fairer” coverage, adding that the media CEO would “do a great job” and “do the right thing” with CBS.