The U.S. military has and all but destroyed its military effectiveness. Period. Full stop.Â
Everyone recognizes this, and the coverage reflects it.Â
And yet President Donald Trump is accusing many in the media of wanting America to lose the war, and his FCC chairman is talking about networks losing their licenses.Â
There’s no question that journalistic credibility has plummeted in the , and the president has used lawsuits and other tactics to pressure news organizations.Â
At the same time, journalists have an obligation to ask about the latest developments in a war that has divided the MAGA media movement, given the sharp contrast between Trump’s past rhetoric against entanglement in foreign wars and his decision to attack Iran and wipe out its nuclear weapons program.Â
Its hardly a shock, but the president has been combative with those asking the questions, as if he resents any challenge to the official narrative.Â
Some reporters have focused on the blockade of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran is using to retaliate against the U.S. and Israeli attacks. Oil prices have soared, though they have dipped below the $100-plus per barrel level, and the response from American allies asked to help police the narrow passageway has been tepid. These are facts.Â
On Sunday, when an unidentified reporter on Air Force One asked why he was “sending 5,000 Marines and sailors” to the , Trump said “youre a very obnoxious person” and moved on without answering.
During the same in-flight session, the president was asked about a fundraising letter that has drawn criticism for featuring the “dignified return” of six fallen American soldiers in Delaware â a solemn occasion generally seen as above politics.Â
When the woman identified herself as being from ABC News, Trump called the network “one of the worst, most fake, most corrupt.”
“Will you comment on the dead soldiers?” she persisted.
Trump: “ABC News, I think its maybe the most corrupt news organizations on the planet. I think theyre terrible.” After a third attempt, he said, “Okay, I dont want any more from ABC.”
I wasnt there, so I dont know the tone. Perhaps they should have provided more context â your critics say such-and-such â but Trump, rightly or wrongly, heard it as sharp personal criticism. And that led to this online escalation against the “Radical Leftwing Press,” with even mentioning the loaded word “TREASON”:Â
“The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal (in particular), and other Lowlife Papers and Media actually want us to lose the War. Their terrible reporting is the exact opposite of the actual facts! They are truly sick and demented people that have no idea the damage they cause the United States of America.”
And yet none of the questions or reports are remotely out of bounds, especially in a time of war.
Some headlines, for instance, have emphasized the difficulties in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump himself yesterday said at a lengthy presser, called to discuss the two-year closing of the Kennedy Center, that some allies are not “enthusiastic” about helping, and some such as Britain have refused to help at all.
“I think its terrible,” the president said, adding that he has long felt that America spends endless billions to protect NATO but that he long suspected there would be no reciprocation if needed.
That, in turn, underscores why Hormuz has been a legitimate subject for coverage.Â
One CNN report, with four journalists contributing, said: “Top Trump officials acknowledged to lawmakers during recent classified briefings that they did not plan for the possibility of Iran closing the strait in response to strikes, according to three sources familiar with the closed-door session.”
Sorry, its hard to imagine there was no planning at all, but CNN stands by its reporting.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth, a former co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend
