President Donald Trump sharply criticized a reporter who questioned the effectiveness of his ongoing military operations in Iran, labeling the work of this reporter and others as “treasonous.” He asserted that the U.S. military could dismantle Iran’s infrastructure “within two days.”
Trump embarked on a two-minute tirade aboard Air Force One on Friday. This occurred when New York Times journalist David Sanger inquired about the rationale behind the U.S. continuing its assaults on Iran, despite not achieving the “political changes” initially intended.
“We’ve achieved total victory except for individuals like you who fail to report the truth. … I consider it somewhat treasonous what you write, and I believe The New York Times and CNN are among the worst,” Trump remarked.
“And you should know better because you’re a professional. You know better,” Trump continued, adding, “I actually think it’s treasonous when you write as if they’re doing well militarily, despite having no navy, no air force, no anti-anything.”
Trump further stated that the U.S. military actions against Iran need not be confined to its military capabilities.
“We could eliminate their bridges and electrical capacity within two days. We could dismantle everything. Yet I read The New York Times, and they act like Iran is doing well. Everyone knows this, which is why your subscribers are declining,” he elaborated.
These remarks come amidst a surge in Trump’s criticisms of female journalists, whom he has frequently labeled “dumb” and “stupid.” Last year, he derogatorily referred to one female journalist as “ugly” and another as “piggy.”
Trump described CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell as “stupid” during a Fox News interview that aired on Thursday. Earlier in the week, he made similar comments about two female reporters while addressing questions outside the White House.
He also made comparable remarks to ABC News’ Rachel Scott the previous week.
A White House spokesperson defended Trump’s language to JS on Tuesday, portraying him as someone who “has never been politically correct, never holds back.”
Abigail Jackson stated, “This has nothing to do with gender — it has everything to do with the fact that the President’s and the public’s trust in the media is at an all-time low.”
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