Trump Claims CNN, New York Times 'Will Be Firing' Reporters Who Exposed Hegseth's Intel on Iran

President Donald Trump has claimed that The New York Times and CNN will be dismissing journalists who published "fake" stories exposing intel on his administration's attack on Iran.

Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, on Thursday to share the news.

"Rumor is that the Failing New York Times and Fake News CNN will be firing the reporters who made up the FAKE stories on the Iran Nuclear sites because they got it so wrong. Lets see what happens?" wrote the President.

Preliminary assessments of the strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, which were announced by President Trump last Saturday, were exclusively reported on by CNN. Reporters from the media agency reportedly obtained leaked reports of the damage inflicted to nuclear facilities by the strikes from the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth heavily criticized CNN's Natasha Bertrand, the lead reporter on the story, alleging that the information she reported had been false.

"Natasha Bertrand should be FIRED from CNN! I watched her for three days doing Fake News. She should be IMMEDIATELY reprimanded, and then thrown out 'like a dog,'" Trump said, once again taking to Truth Social.

"She should not be allowed to work at Fake News CNN. It's people like her who destroyed the reputation of a once great Network," Trump continued. "Her slant was so obviously negative, besides, she doesn't have what it takes to be an on camera correspondent, not even close. FIRE NATASHA!"

Hegseth also spoke out against Bertrand's reporting, stating that her reporting was based on "biased leaks to biased publications".

"How about we take a beat, recognize first the success of our warriors, hold them up, tell their stories, celebrate that, wave an American flag, be proud of what we accomplish?" he said.

However, CNN supported Bertrand in the face of such criticism and reiterated her skills and capabilities as a journalist.

"We stand 100% behind Natasha Bertrand's journalism and specifically her and her colleagues' reporting of the early intelligence assessment of the U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear facilities," CNN said in a statement.

"We do not believe it is reasonable to criticize CNN reporters for accurately reporting on the existence of the assessment and accurately characterizing its findings, which are in the public interest," they continued.