Pentagon officials have launched a scathing critique of what they describe as biased reporting that favors Iranian perspectives over American military achievements. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell specifically targeted mainstream outlets for headlines questioning the effectiveness of recent U.S. strikes against Iranian nuclear sites. Is this another coordinated effort made by liberals to undermine the military under Trump?
Pentagon Officials Blast Media for Undermining Military Success
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell have launched a pointed attack against mainstream media outlets for allegedly favoring Iranian narratives over U.S. military accomplishments. Their criticism focuses particularly on coverage of recent strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities, which Pentagon and White House officials declared successful but certain media outlets portrayed with skepticism.
Parnell specifically targeted The Washington Post for headlines suggesting that Iranian officials believed U.S. strikes were less devastating than claimed. “The mainstream media is engaging in a weaponized smear campaign against America & our incredible troops,” Parnell stated, accusing news organizations of “knowingly using incomplete, out-of-context & flat-out false intelligence ‘assessments’ to seemingly do the bidding of the Iranian propaganda machine.”
After Pete Hegseth falsely claimed the media unfairly covered Donald Trump’s attacks on Iran, CNN airs a brutal five minute long side by side of his press conference and their accurate reporting pic.twitter.com/zb0yyjdpiM
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) June 27, 2025
Security Breach Exposes Military Planning
The confrontation between defense officials and the press comes amid revelations that senior Trump administration officials accidentally shared sensitive war plans with Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor-in-Chief of The Atlantic. The security breach occurred when officials mistakenly included Goldberg in a group chat containing operational details about imminent airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.
The group chat included messages from high-ranking officials including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Goldberg received specific information about the airstrikes approximately two hours before they were publicly announced, potentially compromising operational security.
Brian Hughes from the National Security Council confirmed the authenticity of the reported messages, stating, “The message thread that was reported appears to be authentic, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain.” Officials may have violated protocols regarding the sharing of secure military information and the preservation of government records.
OMG
Sec. of Def Pete Hegseth just OBLITERATED the fake news on the Iran bomb report
"Why is there 'low confidence'? Because all of the evidence of what was just bombed by twelve 30lb bombs, is BURIED UNDER A MOUNTAIN!..So if you want to make an 'assessment of what happened at… pic.twitter.com/nGansdHxsg
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 25, 2025
Defense Leadership Questions Media Integrity
Secretary Hegseth delivered particularly pointed remarks during a Pentagon briefing, accusing journalists of actively hoping for military failures to undermine President Trump. “You, and I mean specifically you, the press corps, because you cheer against Trump so hard, like in your DNA and in your blood, to cheer against Trump,” Hegseth stated, suggesting media organizations deliberately spin information “to try to cause doubt and manipulate the public mind over whether or not our brave pilots were successful.”
The Defense Secretary further alleged that classified information is repeatedly leaked for political purposes aimed at embarrassing the administration. Hegseth emphasized that such leaks ultimately “undermine the success of incredible B-2 pilots and incredible F-35 pilots and incredible refuelers and incredible air defenders who accomplished their mission, set back a nuclear program in ways that other presidents would have dreamed.”
Despite concerns about the security breach involving the accidental text messages to Goldberg, Pentagon officials maintain there were no threats to national security or service members from that incident. The U.S. military successfully conducted strikes on over 30 targets in Yemen targeting Iran-backed Houthi rebels, part of broader operations addressing regional threats.