US Defense Secretary Criticizes Former Fox Colleague Over Iran Strike Reporting

During a Pentagon press conference, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth harshly criticized his former Fox News colleague, Jennifer Griffin, after she questioned the effectiveness of the Trump administration’s recent airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Griffin asked whether there was certainty that all highly enriched uranium was inside the Fordow mountain at the time of the strikes, referencing satellite images of trucks on the site days prior. Instead of directly answering, Hegseth accused Griffin of intentionally misrepresenting President Trump and labeled her "the worst," while also defending the operation as highly successful. Griffin countered by highlighting her accurate reporting on the mission details, but Hegseth persisted in dismissing media reports that suggested the strikes had not fully destroyed Iran’s nuclear capabilities. The Trump administration has condemned media leaks and intelligence reports that downplay the damage, asserting the strikes significantly reduced Iran’s uranium stockpile. This confrontation reflects broader tensions between the Trump administration and the press, with Hegseth aggressively defending the president's claims and chastising journalists questioning the official narrative.