White House Criticizes CNN Reporter Over Iran Nuclear Strike Coverage

The White House, through Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, has vehemently criticized CNN reporter Natasha Bertrand for her coverage of U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, accusing her of pushing a false narrative based on a preliminary intelligence report that questioned the strikes' complete success. Leavitt contended that Bertrand had been used by insiders opposed to President Donald Trump to disseminate misleading information, citing past instances where Bertrand allegedly reported falsehoods, including claims about the Hunter Biden laptop story and other political controversies. President Trump also publicly condemned Bertrand, demanding her dismissal and labeling her reporting as dishonest. CNN and other major outlets have defended Bertrand's reporting, emphasizing the preliminary nature of the intelligence and noting that other news organizations have corroborated her story. Despite Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledging the existence of the intelligence report, he downplayed its reliability. The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and media outlets over the portrayal of the Iran strikes and broader issues of trust and accuracy in political journalism.