Former President Donald Trump has launched a vehement attack on both Democratic lawmakers and members of the media following the publication of a leaked US intelligence report regarding military strikes on Iran. The report argues that the raids merely delayed Iran’s nuclear progress in a way that will be easily overcome. This has triggered the fury of Trump, driving him to consider suing the press for reporting on classified information.
Trump has misrepresented his administration’s airstrikes on June 21 as strikes on Iranian facilities. He claims these attacks effectively “turned to dust” three nuclear facilities. He claims these attacks eliminated all but two of their enriched uranium stockpiles. At the same time, Iranian officials have asserted that they moved the material prior to the strikes. Contradicting the findings of the US Defense Intelligence Agency, Trump continues to maintain that the military actions significantly delayed Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
In a recent letter addressed to The New York Times, Trump’s lawyer accused the publication of publishing a “false,” “defamatory,” and “unpatriotic” article that damaged Trump’s reputation. The letter called on the outlet to retract its claim and apologize.
“False,” “defamatory” and “unpatriotic” – Lawyer for Donald Trump
As the controversy unfolds, Trump has publicly indicated that he is weighing the possibility of forcing journalists who reported on the leaked intelligence to disclose their sources. His press secretaries have incentivized the practice, and he has threatened that his administration will criminally prosecute those reporters and their sources if they don’t.
“You go up and tell the reporter, ‘national security – who gave it?’” Trump stated, emphasizing his frustration with the media’s handling of sensitive information.
Indeed, Trump has called out both CNN and The New York Times by name for their coverage of the airstrikes. His argument is that they’re fearmongering to cover up what’s really happening. He accused the media of attempting to “exaggerate to cover up the truth and keep it secret.”
His administration claims that the bombings set Iran’s nuclear program back by months. They recognize that the bombings did not fully eradicate the possibility of attack. This claim is in direct contradiction to Trump’s previous statements that the strikes were extremely successful.
Still, Trump is holding the line in the face of this substantial backlash. He argues that he is the one with the valid claims and dismisses the leaked intelligence as cherry-picked and prejudiced.