Trump and his allies use familiar tactic to help Iran war messaging: attacking the press

Record ID: 2367240

  • Title: Trump and his allies use familiar tactic to help Iran war messaging: attacking the press
  • Date: 18th March 2026
  • Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK (MARCH 17, 2026) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUTHOR OF "THE PRESIDENTS VS. THE PRESS, HAROLD HOLZER, SAYING: "There is precedent, and every president has demanded and desired that the press praise him and not criticize him. This is not a new phenomenon. What's new is the personal way that President Trump does it. He doesn't argue that it's a national
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Harold Holzer Hegseth Kathleen Hall Jamieson Media Trump journalists rhetoric
  • Location: VARIOUS
  • City: VARIOUS
  • Country: US
  • Topics: North America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA002449716032026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: PART AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING
    President Donald Trump and his allies are attacking news organizations for their coverage of the Iran war, a conflict the administration says is going well for the United States but is unpopular with the public and has plunged the Middle East into chaos.
    While Trump has for years disparaged news coverage he deems unfavorable, his recent comments mark an escalation of threats against the news media. Some press freedom advocates worry about a chilling effect on journalism during wartime, and point to freedoms of speech and the press enshrined in the Constitution.
    Only one in four Americans approve of February strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran, according to a March 1 Reuters/Ipsos poll. About half — including one in four Republicans — believe Trump ‌is too willing to use military force. At least 13 U.S. service members have died in the war. 
    Criticism of reporting on the war ramped up on Friday, when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a news conference singled out CNN, calling a source-based report "patently ridiculous" for saying the administration had underestimated risks to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Hegseth said the sooner CNN's new owner David Ellison takes over the network, the better. 
    Paramount Skydance CEO Ellison, whose company is acquiring CNN parent Warner Bros. Discovery, is the son of Oracle co-founder and Trump ally Larry Ellison. 
    The White House followed up with an email accusing CNN of “lying” to undermine the military operation’s “crushing success.”
    CNN Chairman and Chief Executive Mark Thompson said in a statement to Reuters: “We stand by our journalism.”
    U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr on Saturday posted on X that broadcasters who air "fake news" now have a chance to "correct course before their license renewals come up." His remarks were accompanied by a screenshot of Trump's Truth Social post earlier in the day claiming "Lowlife 'Papers' and Media actually want us to lose the War." 
    The FCC has not revoked a broadcast TV station license in more than 40 years, and any attempts to do so by the Trump administration because of reporting would likely be met with lawsuits grounded in the First Amendment, which protects the freedom of the press.
    In a Sunday evening post on Truth Social, Trump accused unspecified “fake news media” of working with Iran to spread AI-generated images of a burning U.S. aircraft carrier and said they should be charged with treason.
    Iranian state media had falsely claimed Iranian military struck the carrier. But the assertion was not widely reported by Western outlets, several of which instead published accounts debunking the videos showing the ship on fire as fake. 
    Trump’s reference to treason — a charge that carries a maximum penalty of death under U.S. law — took his threats against the media to a new level. Trump has long labeled the press as “fake news” and “the enemy of the American people.” He has personally attacked individual reporters with insults such as “piggy” and “sleazebag.”
    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on CNBC that mainstream media reporting of the war reflected "a dislike for President Trump."
    “President Trump is right," said White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales in a statement. "Many in the media are working overtime to discredit President Trump, his Administration, and the United States military while carrying water for a regime that has killed Americans for nearly 50 years. This is a complete disgrace."
    Harold Holzer, author of "The Presidents vs. the Press," said that while all presidents have viewed the media with suspicion and tried to shape coverage in their favor, Trump was "acting like a despotic, authoritarian military leader who tolerates no pushback" from reporters.
    "While they haven't been able to quiet that many media outlets... they've quieted some," Holzer said, expresing hope that Trump's ability to intimidate the media had peaked. "The job of the press is to push back and to look closely and to question, question, question."
    (Production: Suheir Sheikh)
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