CNN has stood up against US President Donald Trump after he made the network his favourite “punching bag”. From yesterday to today, Trump has posted multiple times on Truth Social, lashing out at CNN over its report citing an intelligence assessment that US strikes did not completely destroy Iran’s nuclear sites. Trump, who has claimed “total obliteration” of the facilities, labelled CNN as “fake news” and said journalist Natasha Bertrand should be “thrown out of CNN like a dog”. He also mocked the network as “disgusting and incompetent,” calling its anchors “the dumbest”.

But CNN isn’t staying silent. In response to Trump’s tirade, the network issued a firm statement, saying it stands by its reporting and continues to uphold journalistic integrity despite the repeated attacks. But before we tell you what Trump has posted, let us take you through some of Trump’s social media posts.

‘Fake News CNN’: Trump on intel reportage

Trump took to Truth Social and wrote, “Natasha Bertrand should be fired from CNN! I watched her for three days doing Fake News.” 

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“She lied on the laptop from Hell Story, and now she lied on the Nuclear Sites Story, attempting to destroy our Patriot Pilots by making them look bad when, in fact, they did a great job and hit ‘pay dirt’,” he added, reiterating his “total obliteration” in all caps. 

He further said, “It’s people like her who destroyed the reputation of a once great Network. Her slant was so obviously negative. Besides, she doesn’t have what it takes to be an on-camera correspondent, not even close.”

We 100% stand behind our journalists: CNN

Responding to Trump’s accusations of “fake news” and his call to fire the journalist behind the exclusive report, CNN has released a statement defending its reporting and the team involved.

“We stand 100 per cent behind Natasha Bertrand’s journalism and specifically her and her colleagues’ reporting of the early intelligence assessment of the US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities,” CNN said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter). 

The statement added that the report made it clear that it was an initial finding that could change with additional intelligence. “We have extensively covered President Trump’s own deep scepticism about it.”

“However, we do not believe it is reasonable to criticise CNN reporters for accurately reporting the existence of the assessment and accurately characterising its findings, which are in the public interest,” it further said. 

What does the CNN report say?

CNN, citing early US intel assessment, said that the Trump-led strikes on Iran’s three nuclear sites did not “destroy” the country’s nuclear program but have likely deterred it by months. The assessment, which was described by seven people who were briefed on it, was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon’s intelligence arm.

It reported that the early findings don’t match with Trump’s repeated claims that the strikes “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities, including Fordow. 

The report also said that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium and centrifuges were largely “intact”. And, satellite images appear to confirm the CNN report. Maxar Technologies, an American space technology company, shows that the US military was careful not to hit the reactors at the key research site.

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Furthermore, the latest damage report released by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) does not mention three key research reactors.

The outlet also said that Iran moved out its stockpile before the US dropped bombs and sided with Israel during the Mideast conflict. And the satellite images show heightened activity before the US dropped bombs.

While White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the assessment is “flat-out wrong”, she admitted that it was classified document which was leaked to the network to demean Trump and discredit pilots. 

Hegseth also admitted that the assessment was a “top secret” report, adding that “it was preliminary; it was low confidence”. He added that an FBI investigation is underway to identify who leaked it. This means that the CNN report was right and hints at the US military defying what the president told them to do – bomb the nuclear infrastructure of Iran.

CNN, NYT working in tandem: Trump on Truth Social

Trump also lashed out at The New York Times for “working with” CNN to “demean the great work B-2 pilots did”. 

“These reporters are just bad and sick people. You would think they would be proud of the great success we had, instead of trying to always make our country look bad,” he wrote in a separate post on Truth Social. 

In an all-caps post yesterday, Trump wrote, “Fake news CNN, together with the failing New York Times, have teamed up in an attempt to demean one of the most successful military strikes in history. The nuclear sites in Iran are completely destroyed! Both the Times and CNN are getting slammed by the public!”