Secretary of War Pete Hegseth went after CNN for its coverage of the U.S. war with Iran.
In a double zinger, Hegseth talked about CNN’s takeover by Paramount CEO David Ellison, saying he hoped it happened soon, Fox News reported.
“More fake news from CNN,” Hegseth said at the Pentagon Friday morning. “‘Reports that the Trump administration underestimated the Iran War’s impact on the Strait of Hormuz.’ Patently ridiculous, of course. For decades, Iran has threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. This is always what they do, hold the strait hostage.”
“CNN doesn’t think we thought of that,” Hegseth added. “It’s a fundamentally unserious report. The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.”
A spokesperson for CNN said, “We stand by our reporting.” The network did not respond to the Ellison remark.
Paramount prevailed in its bidding war against Netflix to buy CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).
Ellison’s takeover is expected to have a major impact on the media and entertainment industries.
The potential Paramount-WBD merger has sparked many industry questions, such as if CNN would merge with CBS News.
CBS News currently undergoing changes headed by Ellison and his editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.
CNN staffers worry that Ellison, son of billionaire and President Donald Trump ally Larry Ellison, will implement more MAGA-friendly pivot in the newsroom.
In a recent interview, Ellison insisted CNN would maintain “editorial independence.” That the goal would be to appeal to the 70% in the center left and center right instead of the political fringes.
They are also concerned with the possibility that Weiss would become their new boss following the corporate merger.
Weiss has already left her mark on CBS News in the early months of her tenure such as naming the network’s morning show co-host Tony Dokoupil to anchor “CBS Evening News.”
Many staffers have left the network after what the call a politicizing editorial shift being implemented.
