Lefty MSNBC host pours cold water on leaked report minimizing US Iran strikes: ‘Being played'
Even lefty MSNBC anchor Joe Scarborough is pouring cold water on reports suggesting the US airstrikes on Iran only set its nuclear facilities back by a few months — suggesting that the mainstream media could may be getting 'played' by the intelligence community.
'We … have to be cautious about being played by people inside the intel community who want to get their message out,' Scarborough said on 'Morning Joe.'
Scarborough's comments follow a preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessment leaked to CNN and The New York Times claiming the damage done to Iran's nuclear facilities over the weekend was less than President Trump touted as a resounding success.
The report also alleged that much of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile was moved from the facilities before the attacks.
Scarborough nodded to several past reports based on leaks that were blown out of proportion, noting a bombshell New York Times report during President Trump's first term that claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin was paying Taliban-associated militants to kill US troops in Afghanistan.
'That's happened an awful lot, happened a lot in Iraq. It happened a lot in Afghanistan,' Scarborough said. 'I'm not saying that's happening here, but I remember in the last Trump term, The New York Times runs a story on the front page, somebody from the Intel community said Vladimir Putin was paying for hits against U.S troops in Afghanistan. Everybody ran with it,' said the former Republican.
'That's why waiting to see what happens, actually, and not not drawing too many conclusions makes sense. And that, of course, not only is the best practice for the White House and for the president, that's the best practice for the media as well.'
MSNBC's Joe Scarborough (middle, top row) warned media outlets to avoid 'being played' by the recent leak.
MSNBC
Trump administration officials also railed against the report.
'This alleged 'assessment' is flat-out wrong and was classified as 'top secret' but was still leaked to CNN by an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community,' White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in response to the leak.
'The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran's nuclear program,' she added.
Satellite image of craters caused by US airstrikes at Iran's Fordow nuclear facility.
©2025 Maxar Technologies
Trump claimed that Israel had sent agents to Iran's bombed nuclear sites to confirm their 'total obliteration' — and compared the attack to the US nuking of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan at the end of WWII.
President Trump reaffirmed Wednesday his previous claims that the attacks were a massive success.
At a NATO summit at The Hague, he said the strikes led to the 'virtual obliteration' of Iran's nuclear capabilities and set its program back 'by decades.'
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was also at the summit, added that the preliminary report was made with 'low confidence' and that the leak was under FBI investigation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
34 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Israelis love Trump. But some are unnerved by his vow to 'save' Netanyahu from his corruption trial
JERUSALEM — President Donald Trump's call for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial to be thrown out has plunged the American leader into one of Israel's most heated debates, unnerving some in its political class just days after they unanimously praised his strikes on Iran. Trump's social media post condemning the trial as a 'WITCH HUNT,' and his vow that the United States will be the one who 'saves' Netanyahu from serious corruption charges , came just two days after he called off an Israeli bombing raid in Iran to preserve a ceasefire.
35 minutes ago
Trump admin launches full-court press defending Iran strikes as questions remain
President Donald Trump on Thursday offered enthusiastic praise of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's briefing at the Pentagon, where he provided more information about the U.S. strikes on Iran and defended the president. "One of the greatest, most professional, and most 'confirming' News Conferences I have ever seen! The Fake News should fire everyone involved in this Witch Hunt, and apologize to our great warriors, and everyone else!" Trump wrote on his conservative social media platform, where earlier he had encouraged followers to tune in. Hegseth's news conference came amid a full-court press from Trump's top officials dispute a preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment that said the bombings may have only set it back by a few months. "You want to call it destroyed. You want to call it defeated. You want to call it obliterated. Choose your word. This was an historically successful attack and we should celebrate as Americans," a defiant Hegseth said from the podium as he railed against the news media coverage of the events and the leaked initial intelligence assessment. "This is preliminary but leaked because someone had an agenda to try to muddy the waters and make it look like this historic strike wasn't successful," he said. "Classified information is leaked or peddled for political purposes to try to make the president look bad," he added. The day prior, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard posted statements saying their intelligence supported Trump's description of the damage inflicted by the U.S. military operation. "CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran's Nuclear Program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes," Ratcliffe wrote in a statement. Gabbard wrote on X: "New intelligence confirms what @POTUS has stated numerous times: Iran's nuclear facilities have been destroyed. If the Iranians chose to rebuild, they would have to rebuild all three facilities (Natanz, Fordow, Esfahan) entirely, which would likely take years to do." Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, who on Sunday had said it was "way too early" to make complete damage assessments, at Thursday's news conference declined to give a detailed assessment. "By design, we don't grade our own homework. The intelligence community does," Caine said. "But here's what we know following the attacks and the strikes on Fordo," Caine continued. "First, that the weapons were built, tested and loaded properly. Two, the weapons were released on speed and on parameters. Three, the weapons all guided to their intended targets and to their intended aim points. Four, the weapons functioned as designed, meaning they exploded." "We know this through other means, intelligence means that we have that we were visibly able to see them," Caine added. "And we know that the trailing jets saw the first weapons function and the pilots stated quote this was the brightest explosion that I've ever seen. It literally looked like daylight.'" Caine was asked if he felt any political pressure on how to describe the strikes or their impact. 'No, I have not, and no, I would not,' Caine responded. Hegseth momentarily interrupted the questioning. "The chairman here, who's not involved in politics, he doesn't do politics. That's my lane -- to understand and translate and talk about those types of things. So, I can use the word 'obliterated,'" Hegseth said, the term Trump has used repeatedly. Still, several questions remain not fully answered, particularly how far exactly the strikes set back Iran's nuclear capabilities and whether Iran was able to move uranium away from the Fordo site before the bombings. Hegseth and Caine were asked about the uranium during their 45-minute news conference. Neither provided a clear answer. Hegseth first attacked the news reporter who asked the question, before saying: "We're looking at all aspects of intelligence and making sure we have a sense of what was where." President Trump, who was watching the news conference, took to his social media account to weigh in on speculation that Iran may have moved uranium because of satellite images showing trucks lined up at Fordo in the days leading up to the attack. "The cars and small trucks at the site were those of concrete workers trying to cover up the top of the shafts. Nothing was taken out of facility. Would take too long, too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move!" Trump wrote on his social media site.
San Francisco Chronicle
40 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Israelis love Trump. But some are unnerved by his vow to 'save' Netanyahu from his corruption trial
JERUSALEM (AP) — President Donald Trump's call for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial to be thrown out has plunged the American leader into one of Israel's most heated debates, unnerving some in its political class just days after they unanimously praised his strikes on Iran. Trump's social media post condemning the trial as a 'WITCH HUNT,' and his vow that the United States will be the one who 'saves' Netanyahu from serious corruption charges, came just two days after he called off an Israeli bombing raid in Iran to preserve a ceasefire. Both were dramatic interventions in the affairs of an ally that previous U.S. administrations had always insisted was a sovereign nation that made its own decisions. Now the one leader nearly all Israelis seem to support has fully embraced the one who most divides them. 'With all due respect for Trump, he is not supposed to interfere in a legal process in an independent country," opposition leader Yair Lapid told Israeli media. Trump says trial should be canceled In an extended post on his Truth Social site, Trump condemned Netanyahu's trial in the same language that both he and Netanyahu have long used to describe their legal woes. Both contend they are the victims of witch hunts by hostile media, crooked law enforcement and political opponents. 'I was shocked to hear that the State of Israel, which has just had one of its Greatest Moments in History, and is strongly led by Bibi Netanyahu, is continuing its ridiculous Witch Hunt against their Great War Time Prime Minister!' Trump wrote, using a common nickname for Netanyahu. 'Bibi Netanyahu's trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State. ... It was the United States of America that saved Israel, and now it is going to be the United States of America that saves Bibi Netanyahu," Trump wrote. Netanyahu's allies took to social media Thursday to praise Trump and a spokesperson from Netanyahu's Likud party translated the post into Hebrew. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, a former rival who once challenged Netanyahu over the corruption charges, only to join his Cabinet last year, said the trial was harming the state: "When the president of the United States calls for an annulment of the trial or for a pardon — can anyone say that he is wrong?' Netanyahu himself said in a post addressed to Trump that he was 'deeply moved by your heartfelt support for me and your incredible support for Israel and the Jewish people.' Netanyahu is a polarizing figure in Israel Netanyahu became the only sitting prime minister in Israeli history to be indicted when he was charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases after yearslong investigations accusing him of exchanging favors with wealthy political supporters. He took the witness stand for the first time late last year and his cross-examination began earlier this month. Several hearings have been postponed as he has dealt with the wars and unrest stemming from Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack out of the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu portrays himself as a towering statesman fighting for Israel's very survival and accuses his political opponents of trying to achieve in the courtroom what they failed to do at the ballot box during his nearly unbroken 16 years in power — the longest of any Israeli leader. His critics accuse him of prolonging the war in Gaza and of leaving dozens of hostages languishing in Hamas captivity to cling to power and more effectively battle the allegations. Massive weekly protests against Netanyahu have been held for years. Trump seen as Israel's greatest U.S. friend Trump is seen by Netanyahu — and many Israelis — as the greatest friend they have ever had in the White House. He has lent unprecedented support to Israel's claims to territories seized in war, he brokered the Abraham Accords with four Arab nations in his first term and over the weekend he ordered direct strikes on Iran's nuclear program, which Israel views as an existential threat. Still, even some staunch supporters of Netanyahu and Trump seemed a bit unnerved. Simcha Rotman, a lawmaker from the far-right Religious Zionist party and one of the architects of Netanyahu's controversial judicial overhaul, wrote on X that Netanyahu's trial 'may be an example of an accumulation of many faults' of the justice system. 'Still, it is not the place of the president of the United States to interfere in legal proceedings in Israel."
