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United States President Donald Trump and his close aides have intensified attacks on the media over their coverage of the war with Iran, at a time when the administration insists that the operations are being carried out successfully, despite low public support.
The president and his allies have directed strong criticism at major media organizations, accusing them of distorted reporting of developments on the ground.
The US government claims that military operations are making positive progress. However, polls show limited public support, while the conflict has increased instability in the Middle East.
According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll on March 1, only one in four Americans supported the strikes carried out in February by the US and Israel against Iran.
About half of those surveyed, including one in four Republicans, believe Trump is too willing to use military force. At least 13 American service members have been killed in the conflict.
Tensions with the media escalated on Friday when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized CNN during a press conference, calling a report based on sources that the administration had underestimated the risks to oil shipping in the Strait of Hormuz “absolutely ridiculous.” He added that “the sooner the network is under new ownership, the better.”
David Ellison, CEO of Paramount Skydance, the company that is buying CNN's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, is the son of Oracle co-founder and Trump ally Larry Ellison.
The White House then sent an email accusing CNN of “lying” to undermine what it called the “overwhelming success” of the military operation. CNN President and CEO Mark Thompson responded by declaring, “We defend our journalism.”
In a post on Saturday on the X platform, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr warned that television stations that broadcast "fake news" should "course correct before their licenses are renewed."
The post was accompanied by a message from Trump on Truth Social, where he wrote that "the immoral media wants us to lose the war."
Although the FCC has not revoked a broadcast license in more than 40 years, any such action would face legal challenges under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees freedom of the press.
In another tweet on Sunday, Trump accused the “fake news media” without evidence of collaborating with Iran to spread artificial intelligence-generated images showing a US aircraft carrier in flames, adding that they “should be charged with treason.” Treason in the US is punishable by death.
Iranian state media had incorrectly reported that a US aircraft carrier had been hit, but most Western media outlets dismissed these images as fabricated.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that mainstream media coverage of the war reflects “antipathy toward President Trump.” White House spokeswoman Olivia Wale said that “many in the media are working overtime to discredit the president, his administration, and the U.S. military.”
Trump has repeatedly criticized the media before, calling them "fake news" and "enemies of the American people," and has personally attacked journalists with insulting labels.
According to Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, the president’s recent rhetoric reinforces a “long-standing effort to align the media with his political and ideological agenda.” He emphasized that the president has the right to criticize, but the First Amendment guarantees the editorial independence of the media.
Republican Senator Janet Hoffman said some media companies can be vulnerable to government pressure, especially when they have pending deals that require FCC approval. She cited Paramount's decision to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit Trump filed against CBS News as an example.
On the other hand, political strategist Jason Roe argued that, despite objections to the way Trump attacks the media, there is a basis for the claim that some successes of American operations have been minimized in reporting.
However, he added that if the war ends quickly and is deemed successful, the president's recent attacks on the media could be seen as another rhetorical overreach, with no long-term impact.
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