Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth gave an emotional performance at the podium on Thursday, castigating the media for its questions and coverage and promoting the success of the U.S. bombing mission in Iran.
Hegseth complained that the press corps harbors a deep and disruptive disdain for President Donald Trump, which the SecDef asserts renders the press unable to acknowledge any success by the Trump administration.
“You, the press, cheer against Trump so hard,” Hegseth said. “It’s like in your DNA and in your blood to cheer against Trump because you want him not to be successful so bad. You have to cheer against the efficacy of these strikes. You have to hope maybe they weren’t effective.”
Hegseth also said the press, even including Trump-friendly Fox News, was trying “to manipulate the public mind.”
This accusation came in response to questions about the level of impact the strikes had — was it Trump’s “obliteration” or something less severe? — and whether Iran had managed to remove some of its enriched uranium before the U.S. struck, as trucks appearing at the Fordo nuclear site days before the attack suggested to some analysts.
Hegseth attacked journalist Jennifer Griffin personally after she asked about the possibility that the uranium was transported — see below:
Jennifer Griffin: Are you certain none of that highly enriched uranium was moved?
Hegseth: Jennifer, you’ve been about the worst.
Griffin: I was the first to describe the b-2 bombers, the refueling, the entire mission with great accuracy. So I, I take issue with that. pic.twitter.com/VPFUYX9YfY
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 26, 2025
Hegseth received some criticism in the comments, with detractors condemning the Defense Secretary for being “thin-skinned” and taking allegedly unnecessary offense at questions — “was the uranium moved?” — which were neither irrelevant nor irreverent.
Others, in the MAGA camp, backed the SecDef’s emotional appearance and equated Hegseth’s lashing out against the press with his “standing strong for our warriors.”
The press just can’t handle Trump’s effectiveness! @PeteHegseth is standing strong for our warriors and America!
— Sylvana (@Nadir85045949) June 26, 2025
According to Trump, who chimed in with high praise in the aftermath, Hegseth’s attack on the media was effective and justified — a kind of self-defense against those with the temerity to question the official record of events.
Trump called Hegseth’s emotional performance “one of the greatest, most professional, and ‘confirming’ News Conferences I have ever seen!” and characterized the media’s questions as elements of a “Witch Hunt.”
Hegseth’s entire press conference was all about accomplishing one thing:
Pleasing his audience of one. And he is proud of his pat on the head. pic.twitter.com/AVu7nTNEax
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) June 26, 2025
Hegseth shared Trump’s praise on X, adding the comment: “Thank you Mr. President.”