Former CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr argued the Trump administration is putting the lives of journalists at risk with its rhetoric toward the press. Since the start of the war in Iran, President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have been especially hostile toward the press. Trump has accused the press of wanting the U.S. to lose the war, insisting that coverage of the conflict has been far detached from reality. Hegseth, on the other hand, has claimed that the press is only concerned with making the president “look bad.” He also took issue with the coverage surrounding the fallen troops in the war. Mr. Trump, of course, is trying to improve his coverage perhaps with these exclusives.

Source: CNN March 21, 2026 05:13 UTC