President Donald Trump issued a strong criticism on Wednesday, June 25, towards CNN journalist Natasha Bertrand, demanding her dismissal following her coverage of intelligence assessments related to U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
Trump took to Truth Social, stating that Bertrand “should be FIRED from CNN! I watched her for three days doing Fake News. She should be IMMEDIATELY reprimanded, and then thrown out ‘like a dog.'” His criticism followed a report by Bertrand and her colleagues on a Defense Intelligence Agency assessment that suggested the recent strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities did not completely dismantle the country’s nuclear program.
The issue arose from CNN’s exclusive report on Tuesday, June 24, which detailed an initial U.S. intelligence assessment indicating that the strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities may have only delayed the country’s nuclear program by months. Bertrand, along with Katie Bo Lillis and Zachary Cohen, reported the story based on sources familiar with the preliminary Pentagon assessment.
Other major news outlets, including The New York Times, Associated Press, Reuters, ABC News, and NBC News, later confirmed similar findings. The intelligence assessment challenged Trump’s assertions that the military operation led to the “total obliteration” of Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
In his Wednesday post, Trump accused Bertrand of dishonesty regarding the nuclear sites story and her previous coverage of Hunter Biden’s laptop at Politico in 2020. He asserted that she was attempting to tarnish the reputation of the military pilots involved in the strikes, claiming they performed excellently and achieved full success.
Trump further insisted that Bertrand should not work at CNN, alleging she had damaged the network’s reputation. He also commented on her on-camera appearance, suggesting she was unqualified for television journalism.
CNN promptly defended its journalist and the report, issuing a statement expressing full support for Natasha Bertrand’s work and particularly her and her colleagues’ reporting on the initial intelligence assessment of the U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The network highlighted that their reporting clearly stated this was a preliminary finding that might change with additional intelligence.
The news organization emphasized that it had covered Trump’s skepticism regarding the intelligence assessment extensively. CNN argued that criticizing reporters for accurately reporting the assessment’s existence and summarizing its findings was unreasonable, especially given the public interest in such information.
During a NATO summit press conference on Wednesday, Trump directly addressed the issue, telling reporters they should commend the B-2 pilots instead of undermining them. He claimed the pilots were disheartened by the intelligence reports and suggested the media was attempting to portray them negatively.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed Trump’s criticism at the same press conference, accusing the media of spinning the airstrike outcome for political purposes to harm Trump and the country. Trump later announced that Hegseth would hold a Thursday morning news conference at the Pentagon to defend the dignity of American pilots.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt seemed to confirm the existence of the intelligence assessment in a statement on Tuesday while disputing its findings. Nonetheless, the administration has simultaneously criticized CNN for reporting on the assessment’s existence. Leavitt later singled out Bertrand, suggesting she had been manipulated by individuals opposed to Trump.
The White House released a statement on Wednesday titled “Iran’s Nuclear Facilities Have Been Obliterated — and Suggestions Otherwise are Fake News.” The statement included a Defense Intelligence Agency comment describing the assessment as preliminary and low-confidence, while announcing an investigation into the unauthorized disclosure of classified information.
Trump also criticized other news outlets, especially The New York Times, accusing them of collaborating with CNN to undermine successful military operations. He portrayed both organizations as trying to tarnish the country’s image instead of celebrating military accomplishments.
During the NATO press conference, Trump addressed CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, urging the network to highlight the excellence of American soldiers and warriors. Collins replied that everyone appreciated the military before continuing with her questions about the intelligence assessment.
Bertrand has been covering national security and Pentagon affairs for CNN since April 2021. She previously worked at Politico for two years, focusing on similar topics, and before that at The Atlantic and Business Insider on national security matters.
The episode marks the latest development in Trump’s ongoing disputes with major news organizations over their coverage of his administration’s military actions and foreign policy decisions. The president has consistently labeled unfavorable coverage as “fake news” and has demanded personnel changes at media outlets.
