Jennifer Griffin vs Pete Hegseth: Why Trump's Defense chief lashed out at Fox journalist

Pete Hegseth, clashed with one of the senior-most reporters at the Pentagon and his former colleague, Fox News' Jennifer Griffin

Published on: Jun 26, 2025, 18:48:28 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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President Donald Trump's defense chief, Pete Hegseth, clashed with one of the senior-most reporters at the Pentagon and his former colleague, Fox News' Jennifer Griffin, during a press conference on Thursday. Tensions rose as Hegseth was addressing ‘intelligence leak’ claims days after the US' strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Pete Hegseth clashed with Fox News' Jennifer Griffin at a press conference (AFP and X)

The Pentagon boss said he was unaware of any intelligence suggesting Iran had moved any of its highly enriched uranium to shield it from US strikes. "I'm not aware of any intelligence that I've reviewed that says things were not where they were supposed to be, moved or otherwise," he said.

Griffin asked Hegseth about the movement of enriched uranium from the Fordo site. The former Fox host did not answer the question, but instead attacked the correspondent.

Pete Hegseth also ripped into the media, saying: “Because you cheer against Trump so hard, in your DNA and in your blood, cheer Against Trump because you want him not to be successful so bad, you have to cheer against the efficacy."

“Are you certain none of that highly enriched uranium was moved?” Griffin asked Hegseth. The defense chief was quick to respond, saying: “Jennifer, you've been about the worst. The one who misrepresents the most intentionally.”

“I take issue with that,” the Fox reporter noted.

Who is Jennifer Griffin?

Jennifer Griffin is a veteran American journalist and Fox News Channel’s chief national security correspondent, based in Washington, D.C. Born in 1969 in Baltimore, Maryland, Griffin grew up in a military family, with her father serving in the US Navy.

She graduated from Harvard University in 1992 with a degree in comparative politics. Griffin began as a reporter for the Sowetan newspaper in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1994. She later worked as a freelance correspondent in the Middle East, reporting from Israel and Gaza for outlets like NPR and US News & World Report.

Joining Fox News in 1999 as a Jerusalem-based correspondent, Griffin covered major conflicts, including the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. She became chief national security correspondent in 2007.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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