Ex-Fox News host calls out Trump and Hegseth ‘scary’ attacks on Fox

On Thursday, Gretchen Carlson, a former host of Fox News, attacked Defense Secretary Pete Hegsethon for disparaging media outlets that had reported on an early U.S. assessment of American strikes against Iran’s nuclear sites over the weekend.

According to a preliminary intelligence estimate first revealed by CNN on Tuesday, the U.S. military strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear installations likely only caused a months-long delay in the country’s nuclear program rather than destroying it. The classified findings, which seemed to refute President Donald Trump’s assertions that the facilities were destroyed, have been verified by other news outlets.

At a Pentagon press briefing early Thursday, Hegseth discussed the assessment and accused reporters of applauding Trump’s failure and his approval of strikes against Iran.

According to Hegseth, “you, the press, especially you, the press corps, because you cheer against Trump so hard.” Cheering against Trump because you want him to fail so badly is like it’s in your blood and DNA. You must cheer against these blows’ effectiveness. Perhaps they weren’t successful, you have to hope.

Hegseth once explicitly attacked Jennifer Griffin, the chief national security correspondent for Fox News, when she questioned if he was convinced that Iran’s highly enriched uranium, or at least some of it, was present in Fordo, one of the locations, at the time of the American strike. She mentioned that two days earlier, she had seen satellite images of over a dozen vehicles.

Naturally, we’re keeping an eye on every detail, Former Fox News host Hegseth answered, then changed course, saying, “Jennifer, you’ve been about the worst.” whoever purposefully misrepresents the most.

In response, Griffin defended her reporting, saying, “I don’t think that’s fair.”

Former Fox & Friends host Carlson posted a response to the contentious discussion on X.

Carlson said, “I think it’s fascinating that #Hegseth included Fox News in his evaluation of outlets covering #fakenews this morning.”

Believe me. This is intentional. In fact, it’s scarier than not having Fox. “Now it’s full-on assault on all media,” she added.

Additionally, I think it’s fascinating that Hegset included Fox News in his evaluation of media outlets covering #fakenews this morning. Believe me. This is intentional. In fact, it’s scarier than not having Fox. Now there is a full-scale attack on all media.

Carlson stated in a different post: Folks, keep in mind this exchange. It will be fascinating to watch how Fox News responds to this. Jen Griffin is one of the only straight news reporters there, so watch them eat their own words.

Hegseth joined Trump and other administration officials in criticizing media outlets over the early U.S. assessment’s release during the briefing. Trump has blasted the news and directly demanded the firing of a CNN reporter in a flurry of posts on his Truth Social platform.

FRAUDULENT NEWS He stated on Tuesday that CNN and the failing New York Times had joined forces in an effort to discredit one of the most successful military strikes in history. Iran’s nuclear sites have been totally destroyed! The public is criticizing both CNN and the Times!

Trump commented on Wednesday: There are rumors that the reporters who created the fake articles about Iran’s nuclear sites will be fired by CNN and the failing New York Times since they were so inaccurate. Let’s observe what occurs.

He went on to say that CNN and the New York Times should immediately fire their fake news reporters! HELLISH PEOPLE WITH EVIL GOALS!

When questioned by a reporter about whether the leak was accurate, Trump stated that U.S. intelligence has been very evasive, but he also criticized news outlets during the NATO summit on Wednesday.

CNN is garbage. [MSNBC] is garbage. It’s garbage, the New York Times. They are evil individuals. They’re ill. Trump told reporters in The Hague, Netherlands, that they have attempted to demythologize this incredible triumph.

Hours later, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt again defended Trump in an appearance on Fox News, saying that CNN’s information was false despite being verified by other sources.

“This playbook has been used before, with hostile actors within the intelligence community licking and illegally leaking bits and pieces of an intelligence assessment to push a fake news narrative, which is what the CNN story was yesterday,” Leavitt said. “No other president in history could have ever dreamed of such a success, and that’s exactly why the fake news media is now trying to denigrate and undermine the president.”

Following the White House’s proposal last Thursday to give the president two weeks to decide whether to enter the Middle East conflict, Trump declared that the United States had bombed Iranian nuclear targets on Saturday.

Hours after Iran launched a retaliatory missile assault against a U.S. military station in Qatar, he stated in a Truth Social post on Monday that Israel and Iran had reached an agreement to “agree to a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE.”