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Trump vs CNN: POTUS chastises media report on Iranian ‘victory’ in brutal rant, seeks apology; ‘False and dangerous’
Donald Trump condemned CNN for allegedly spreading false victory statements from Iranian officials following a ceasefire agreement.
US President Donald Trump has strongly condemned CNN for its coverage of Iran, claiming that the network disseminated a false statement attributed to high-ranking Iranian officials, as tensions continue to escalate amidst the delicate ceasefire developments.
The media conflict emerged as diplomatic initiatives progressed after Trump declared a two-week ceasefire agreement with Iran. The ceasefire was established just before a deadline imposed by Trump for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy corridor that manages approximately one-fifth of the world's oil shipments.
Trump lashes out at CNN for ‘fake’ reporting
In his most recent post on Truth Social, Trump charged the broadcaster with deliberately spreading misinformation that could exacerbate an already precarious geopolitical climate.
“No one can believe that Fake News CNN put out a knowingly false and dangerous statement pretending it came from the upper levels of the Iranian Government. It didn’t!" Trump said.
“It was totally made up and posted, as a headline, for purpose of, perhaps, inflaming a very delicate situation. It was a new, trouble making site from Nigeria, and CNN just got caught cheating – A very dangerous thing to do!" (sic), he added.
In a previous post, Trump stated that the purported statement disseminated by CNN was false and associated it with what he referred to as a fraudulent news site based in Nigeria.
Additionally, he mentioned that officials were investigating whether any criminal activity had occurred in connection with the release of the report and urged the network to retract the article and offer an apology.
“The alleged Statement put out by CNN World News is a FRAUD, as CNN well knows. The false Statement was linked to a Fake News site (from Nigeria) and, of course, immediately picked up by CNN, and blared out as a ‘legitimate’ headline. The Official Statement by Iran was just released, and posted on TRUTH, below. Authorities are looking to determine whether or not a crime was committed on the issuance of the Fake CNN World Statement, or was it a sick rogue player? CNN is being ordered to immediately withdraw this Statement with full apologies for their, as usual, terrible ‘reporting.’ Results of the investigation will be announced in the near future.”
What CNN report claims
Meanwhile, a White House account shared a screenshot of the relevant story, featuring the headline, "Iran claims victory, says it forced US to accept 10-point plan."
In the article, CNN conveyed that the Iranian Security Council's statement declared, “The enemy, in its unfair, unlawful, and criminal war against the Iranian nation, has suffered an undeniable, historic, and crushing defeat.”
CNN defends its article
CNN dismissed the accusation and asserted that its report relied on trustworthy sources.
A spokesperson stated, “The statement in question was obtained by CNN from Iranian officials and reported on multiple Iranian state media outlets. We received the statement from specific official Iranian spokespeople who are known to us.”
On CNN, senior international correspondent Matthew Chance responded to Trump's assertion that the statement was fabricated. Chance informed Anderson Cooper that the statement had been published by Iranian state news agencies, and it was distinct, longer, and "more aggressive" compared to the one issued by the minister of foreign affairs.
“When President Trump posted on Truth Social that he objected to that report, to that document, he said it was fake. I followed up with the Iranian foreign ministry and said, ‘Look, do you have this document that you can send to me?’ And they sent me the document themselves, which is exactly the same as the document we originally had. And so I think we’re pretty confident, very confident that this document is authentic," Chance stated, as per Deadline.
The exchange underscores the persistent tension between Trump and the broadcaster, which has often been criticized by the administration regarding its reporting on the Iran conflict.
