Trump Threatens CNN and New York Times Over Iran Strike Coverage, Demands Retraction and Apology

Donald Trump lashes out at CNN and The New York Times over reports on U.S. airstrikes on Iran, calling them “defamatory” and “unpatriotic,” while media outlets stand firm on intelligence-based reporting.

Washington, June 27: Former U.S. President Donald Trump has once again launched legal threats against major media outlets — this time targeting The New York Times and CNN — over their coverage of a preliminary intelligence assessment questioning the effectiveness of recent U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear program. Trump, alongside allies in the White House, has branded the reports as “false,” “defamatory,” and “unpatriotic,” demanding retractions and apologies, while the news organizations remain defiant in defense of their journalism.

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The controversy centers around reporting by The New York Times and CNN that cited an early intelligence assessment, which suggested that the U.S. airstrikes — widely touted by Trump as having severely crippled Iran’s nuclear capability — did not achieve as much destruction as initially claimed.

Despite White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledging the existence of the preliminary assessment, the administration has taken an aggressive stance, accusing the outlets of undermining military personnel who executed the mission. However, the reports in question did not criticize the military’s performance, but instead raised questions about the strategic impact of the strike.

In a legal letter to The New York Times, Trump’s attorney Alejandro Brito characterized the article as “defamatory” and called for both a retraction and an apology. In response, Times deputy general counsel David McCraw categorically refused, stating, “No retraction is needed. No apology will be forthcoming.”

McCraw emphasized the legitimacy of the reporting, writing, “The article accurately reflected that the preliminary intelligence assessments indicated the destruction from the strike was less significant than the President claimed. The American public deserves to know the true impact of such consequential actions funded by their tax dollars.”

He further warned against the dangers of suppressing journalism in a democracy: “It would be irresponsible for a news organization to suppress that information… and even more irresponsible for a president to use the threat of libel litigation to silence a publication.”

CNN also confirmed receipt of a legal letter and, like the Times, firmly rejected Trump’s claims. A spokesperson said, “We responded to it, rejecting the claims in the letter,” while reaffirming full editorial support for CNN reporter Natasha Bertrand, whom Trump singled out in his remarks.

At Thursday’s White House press briefing, Leavitt took aim at Bertrand’s past reporting. However, CNN issued a strong defense, stating the network stands “100% behind Natasha and her work.”

The legal threats follow a familiar pattern. Trump has previously sued CNN and The New York Times over critical coverage, with courts consistently dismissing those cases. He also sued CBS over an edited 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Kamala Harris — a lawsuit CBS’s legal team has called “meritless,” though they are currently in settlement talks amid Paramount Global’s pending merger with Skydance Media.

Earlier that day, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the administration’s narrative at a Pentagon press conference, taking direct aim at the press.

“You cheer against Trump because it’s in your DNA,” said Hegseth, chastising journalists for reporting what he described as “biased leaks.” He urged reporters to “recognize the success of our warriors” and “be proud of what we accomplished.”

The uproar underscores Trump’s long-running battle with the media and his tendency to conflate journalism with political opposition — especially when reports contradict the image of success he seeks to portray.

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