President Donald Trump has demanded the firing of journalists from CNN and The New York Times over their coverage of recent U.S. airstrikes in Iran.
“FAKE NEWS REPORTERS FROM CNN & THE NEW YORK TIMES SHOULD BE FIRED, IMMEDIATELY!!! BAD PEOPLE WITH EVIL INTENTIONS,” Trump wrote in all caps Thursday on his Truth Social platform.
Such a direct call for the dismissal of journalists is highly unusual in democratic nations, where press freedom is a foundational principle.
CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Post earlier this week reported that the weekend’s bombardment failed to destroy Iran’s underground nuclear facilities, citing officials familiar with a military intelligence assessment by the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency.
Trump quickly dismissed the reports as “fake news” and insisted that Iran’s nuclear program had been set back “basically decades.”
The Times reported that Trump had threatened the paper with a lawsuit and demanded an apology.
The paper cited its lawyer, David McCraw, as responding in a letter that “no retraction is needed.”
“No apology will be forthcoming,” McCraw added. “We told the truth to the best of our ability. We will continue to do so.”
Trump has regularly criticized mainstream media outlets, calling them “fake news media,” and has targeted those critical of his administration’s policies.
He has been particularly vocal, often using inflammatory language, in response to reporting that questions the extent of damage inflicted on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, which remains unclear.
