News Reporter Covers Crowd Respond Praising Trump And Israel After Iran Strike
A viral hot-mic moment is putting CBS News in the spotlight after one of its reporters appeared to defy instructions from above — and delivered what some are calling a rare, balanced report from the ground. Over the…
A viral hot-mic moment is putting CBS News in the spotlight after one of its reporters appeared to defy instructions from above — and delivered what some are calling a rare, balanced report from the ground.
Over the weekend, the United States and Israel carried out a joint military operation against Iran, reportedly eliminating Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with other senior figures in the regime’s civilian and military leadership. President Donald Trump confirmed the news shortly after, referencing his recent State of the Union address in which he highlighted the Iranian government’s deadly crackdown on protesters. Trump had previously warned Tehran not to continue killing demonstrators and encouraged citizens to “take over your institutions,” adding that “help is on the way.”
Following news of the operation — dubbed Epic Fury — celebrations erupted among segments of the Iranian diaspora and supporters in cities across the United States and abroad. One of those gatherings took place in Austin, Texas, where CBS affiliate reporter Vinny Martorano was stationed live at the state capitol.
That’s when things took an unexpected turn.
In footage that quickly spread across social media, Martorano is seen preparing for his live shot when a crew member hands him a phone. After reading a message, the reporter asks, “What does that mean?”
“It means they don’t want us to focus on this,” the crew member responds, referencing the demonstrators behind him who were chanting, “Thank you, Trump! … Thank you, Bibi!” — a nod to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Martorano’s reply was brief but clear: “All right. Well, I am.”
Moments later, he went live.
“There are a lot of mixed opinions across Austin about the joint attack between the United States and Israel against Iran that happened earlier this morning,” Martorano reported. He acknowledged that some demonstrators were expressing gratitude to Trump and the U.S. government, while others in the city were calling for peace in the Middle East.