Trump Administration Accused of Attacking Media Over Iran Nuclear Program Report

Washington D.C. – CNN anchor Jake Tapper has strongly criticized the Trump administration for its response to a preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report concerning recent U.S. military strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. The report, initially revealed by CNN, suggests that the strikes may have only set back Iran's nuclear program by a matter of months, contrary to President Trump's assertions that the program was "obliterated." Tapper highlighted that even the intelligence community has not reached a final conclusion on the extent of the setback, noting that the DIA assessment is considered to have "low confidence." He stated, "It's simply way too early to know." The CNN anchor condemned the administration's attacks on journalists, including CNN reporter Natasha Bertrand, for reporting on this assessment. "They're calling journalists fake news for true stories," Tapper stated, adding that calling for Bertrand's firing is "preposterous." He emphasized that CNN stands "100% behind Natasha Bertrand's journalism." President Trump, speaking from The Hague, Netherlands, on June 25, confirmed the existence of the report but criticized its premature release. He defended the pilots involved in the strikes, stating, "Those pilots flew at great risk, a big chance that they'd never come back home and see their husbands or their wives." Trump accused the media of "hurting those people" by reporting on the intelligence assessment, implying a lack of patriotism. Tapper countered, asserting that the media's obligation is to report facts, not to praise or disparage political figures. He concluded that the key questions for the American people and the world are about the success of the operation and the current state of Iran's nuclear weapons program, and what intelligence, "not the politicians," reveals.