President Trump is still fighting one of his life-long rivals: the truth.
Predictably, Donald Trump took to Truth Social to issue declarations and accusations against CNN and The New York Times for daring to do their job — report. The story in question stems from a leak within Trump’s own intelligence community. While the CIA Director issued a press statement confirming severe damage to Iran’s nuclear program, the leaker provided conflicting information to CNN and The New York Times — explaining Trump’s latest gripe with the press.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 25, 2025
My statement confirming CIA intelligence which contradicts illegally sourced public reporting regarding the destruction of key Iranian nuclear facilities. pic.twitter.com/Ln3b4hfELc
— CIA Director John Ratcliffe (@CIADirector) June 25, 2025
Trump claimed CNN jumped the gun and published their report before the facts were fully known. In one Truth Social post, he even alleged that the coverage “upset” the brave pilots who carried out the mission. But the timeline contradicts that. CNN’s reporting actually came after Trump had already announced the mission was a success — not before.
Donald J. Trump Truth Social 06.25.25 05:13 PM EST pic.twitter.com/Cy5nhqXW96
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) June 25, 2025
In CNN’s exclusive report, the picture is painted plainly. Israel’s attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities was hampered by Iran’s decades-long strategy of building its nuclear infrastructure underground — a process that began in the 1960s. Israel reportedly alerted the U.S. that they’d need America’s 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs to “obliterate” the sites, and the U.S. complied. President Trump then almost immediately called for a ceasefire, believing the job was done — and reportedly shouted at Prime Minister Netanyahu for daring to question that belief.
But according to the leaker, initial findings revealed the damage to Iran’s three main nuclear sites was limited — mostly affecting aboveground structures, not the underground infrastructure they had hoped to hit. The leaker told CNN that Iran’s nuclear program could still produce a bomb within months if it chose to. And it’s not just Trump’s least favorite outlets saying this — The Jerusalem Post also reported that Israeli officials themselves aren’t certain how much uranium was actually destroyed.
So the public is left with two possibilities: either Iran is months away or years away from developing a nuclear weapon — and the only way to know for sure is through independent verification. What’s troubling is the administration attacking reporters simply for not echoing their line. This mirrors the Elon Musk drug-testing story, where Musk seemed more offended by the existence of the report than the actual findings. But that is the media’s job — gather reliable sources and report what they’re told, not parrot government narratives. These journalists don’t work for MAGA, and they certainly won’t call Trump “daddy” at NATO meetings — maybe that’s what’s bothering him.
Trump has since returned to Truth Social to demand that one of the report’s authors, Natasha Bertrand, be reprimanded and “thrown out like a dog.” Beyond being one of the most unpresidential things a U.S. president has said about a journalist, it raises a serious question: Is this the new normal? Will the president now personally hound every reporter who reports something he doesn’t like?
Donald J. Trump Truth Social 06.25.25 02:25 PM EST pic.twitter.com/JqvHy6i8oW
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) June 25, 2025
CNN, for its part, has stood by its reporting and its reporters, clarifying that the article noted the findings were preliminary and subject to change.
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) June 25, 2025
If Trump’s goal was to strip them of credibility, it’s backfired. All he’s done is draw more attention — and lend more weight — to their reporting.
