Trump suggests he'll target journalists to find out who leaked negative report on Iran strikes
President Trump suggested that federal investigators would coerce reporters to tell the government who leaked the 'low confidence' preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessment that his strikes on Iran may only set the regime's nuclear program back by a few months.
Trump repeated his demand that the leaker be prosecuted and speculated that Democrats may have been behind the report going public.
'They could find out easily. And you go up and tell the reporter, 'National security, who gave it.' You have to do that. And, I suspect will be doing things like that,' Trump told Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures' in a pre-taped interview.
Advertisement
4 Trump speaks on Fox News following the Iran strikes.
FOX News
4 A U.S. Air Force B-2 stealth bomber returns after the U.S. attacked key Iranian nuclear sites, at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, U.S. June 22, 2025.
via REUTERS
4 Vehicles at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP) one week after US strikes.
Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies/AFP via Getty Images
The president has been adamant that the strikes he ordered against three of Iran's nuclear facilities 'obliterated them.'
Advertisement
'They did obliterate it, it turned out,' Trump complained. 'We had to suffer the fake news with the fake news of CNN and the New York Times, [which were] saying, well, maybe it wasn't as good as Trump said. Maybe it wasn't totally obliterated.'
4 Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressing the nation.
IRIB NEWS AGENCY/AFP via Getty Images
'It turned out, no, it was obliterated like nobody's ever seen before. And that meant the end to their nuclear ambitions, at least for a period of time.'
Advertisement
CNN was the first to report on the DIA assessment, followed by the New York Times. Fox News also reported on the leaked intel.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
27 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
A week into the fragile Israel-Iran peace agreement, here's what we still don't know
Here is a look at what we still don't know: Advertisement How far Iran's nuclear program has been set back Trump says three targets hit by American strikes were 'obliterated.' His defense secretary said they were 'destroyed.' A preliminary report issued by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, meanwhile, said the strikes did significant damage to the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan sites, but did not totally destroy the facilities. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said on CBS' 'Face the Nation' on Sunday that the three Iranian sites with 'capabilities in terms of treatment, conversion and enrichment of uranium have been destroyed to an important degree.' But, he added, 'some is still standing' and that because capabilities remain, 'if they so wish, they will be able to start doing this again.' He said assessing the full damage comes down to Iran allowing inspectors access. Advertisement What future US-Iran relations might look like After the ceasefire deal came together, Trump spoke of potentially easing decades of biting sanctions on Tehran and predicted that Iran could become a 'great trading nation' if it pulled back once-and-for-all from its nuclear program. The talk of harmony didn't last long. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in his first public appearance after the ceasefire was announced, claimed Tehran had delivered a 'slap to America's face.' Trump responded by suggesting the supreme leader own up to the fact Iran 'got beat to hell. The president also said he was backing off reviewing any immediate sanction relief, because of Khamenei's heated comments. White House officials say the U.S. and Iran are already in early discussions about resuming negotiations that had ended after Israel began launching strikes. But Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says there's no agreement in place to restart talks. It's unclear if Iran's leadership is ready to come to the table so soon after the fighting has ended — especially if Trump holds to the position that Iran must give up nuclear enrichment for even civilian use. And Trump has offered conflicting statements about his commitment to talks. 'We may sign an agreement,' he said Wednesday at a NATO summit press conference. He added, 'I don't think it's that necessary.' What role Iran's supreme leader will play Khamenei's age and recent diminished appearance have raised questions about the scope of his involvement in U.S.-Iran relations and the Islamic Republic's response to both American and Israeli strikes. But despite having spent the last few weeks in a bunker as threats to his life escalated, there is little indication that the ayatollah does not still reign supreme over the country's massive military and governmental operations. Advertisement Khamenei has ruled three times longer than his predecessor, the late Ruhollah Khomeini, and has shaped life for the country's more than 90 million people perhaps even more dramatically. He entrenched the system of rule by the 'mullahs,' or Shiite Muslim clerics. That secured his place in the eyes of hard-liners as the unquestionable authority, below only that of God. At the same time, Khamenei built the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard into the dominant force in Iran's military and internal politics. How Iran might strike back Iran's retaliatory missile attacks on a U.S. base in Qatar following the American bombardment were sloughed off by the White House as a half-hearted, face-saving measure. The U.S. was forewarned and the salvos were easily fended off. Yet Iran remains a persistent threat, particularly via cyberwarfare. Hackers backing Tehran have already targeted U.S. banks, defense contractors and oil industry companies — but so far have not caused widespread disruptions to critical infrastructure or the economy. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security last week issued a public bulletin warning of increased Iranian cyber threats. And the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, is urging organizations that operate critical infrastructure like water systems, pipelines or power plants to stay vigilant. Whether the Israel-Iran ceasefire will hold It remains a fragile peace. Immediately following the U.S. strikes, Trump got on the phone with Netanyahu and told the Israeli leader not to expect further U.S. offensive military action, according to a senior White House official who was not authorized to comment publicly about the sensitive diplomatic talks. But even as he agreed to deal, Netanyahu made clear that Israel will strike again 'if anyone in Iran tries to revive this project.' The ceasefire deal came without any agreement from Tehran on dismantling its nuclear program. Khamenei claims the attacks 'did nothing significant' to Iran's nuclear facilities. Advertisement Trump expressed confidence that Iran, at the moment, has no interest in getting its nuclear program back up. 'The last thing they're thinking about right now is enriched uranium,' Trump said. Still, Trump says he expects Iran to open itself to international inspection to verify that it doesn't restart its nuclear program by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, or some other organization 'that we respect, including ourselves.' Whether Trump can now press Netanyahu on Gaza The president took a big gamble with his decision to order strikes on Iran's nuclear fortress. As a candidate, he promised to quickly end Russia's brutal war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, but has failed to find a resolution to either. He also vowed to keep the U.S. military out of foreign conflicts. But after helping Israel with U.S. strikes on Iran, Trump — in conversations with Netanyahu and other world leaders in recent days — has made clear he wants a deal completed soon, according to two people familiar with the private discussions and were not authorized to comment publicly. On Friday, Trump told reporters, 'We think within the next week we're going to get a ceasefire.' Trump didn't offer any further explanation for his optimism. But Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer is expected to be in Washington this week for talks on a Gaza ceasefire, Iran and other matters, according to an official familiar with the matter. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Madhani reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Stephanie Liechtenstein in Vienna, Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, and David Klepper in Washington contributed to this report. Advertisement
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Senate debates Trump's "big, beautiful bill" ahead of Monday votes
Washington — The Senate is debating President Trump's massive tax bill Sunday ahead of Monday's session when the chamber will effort to pass the centerpiece legislation of Mr. Trump's second term agenda. The House narrowly passed the bill last month, and Senate Republicans have since been working to put their mark on the legislation, treading carefully so as not to throw off the delicate balance in the lower chamber. The House will need to approve the Senate's changes to the bill before it can head to the president's desk for his signature. And lawmakers are moving quickly, with a self-imposed July 4 deadline to get the measure signed. The Senate has been working through the weekend as the GOP nears a final sprint on the legislation ahead of the deadline. Known as "One Big, Beautiful Bill," the legislation includes increased spending for border security, defense and energy production, which are offset in part by cuts to healthcare and nutrition programs. The Congressional Budget Office estimated Sunday that the legislation would increase the deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion over the next decade. Senate Republicans voted to advance the legislation late Saturday, with all but two Republicans voting in favor following hours of delay as the GOP worked to iron out last-minute details and dispel concern among holdouts. The vote on the motion to proceed stayed open for more than three hours as holdouts sought assurances from GOP leaders and even some tweaks were made to the bill before Republicans ultimately received enough votes to move forward. Senate Democrats further delayed the legislation's path forward by forcing the bill to be read in its entirety, starting late Saturday. After nearly 16 hours, the Senate clerks concluded their reading of the bill on the floor, starting the clock on debate. Each side now has 10 hours for debate, of which Democrats are expected to use all of their time to rail against the legislation. Senate Republicans have been pursuing the legislation through the budget reconciliation process, which allows the party in the majority to move ahead without support from across the aisle. With only a simple majority required to advance the legislation, rather than the 60-votes needed to move forward with most legislation, Senate Democrats have few mechanisms to combat the bill's progress. Following debate, the Senate is set to begin a "vote-a-rama," in which senators could offer an unlimited number of amendments and force the chamber to cast vote after vote. That process was originally expected to begin in the early morning hours on Monday, but Senate leadership said late Sunday that once debate concludes, the Senate would not reconvene until 9 a.m. ET Monday. Democrats are expected to use the opportunity to put their GOP colleagues on the record on a number of controversial issues ahead of the midterm elections. With a 53-seat majority, Senate GOP leaders can only afford to lose support from three Republicans — which would still require a tie-breaking vote from Vice President JD Vance. And although a number of senators who had expressed opposition to the measure ultimately decided to advance it Saturday, how they will vote on the measure in a final vote remains unclear. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Saturday that "it's time to get this legislation across the finish line," adding that "53 members will never agree on every detail of legislation." But he urged that Republicans are "united in our commitment to what we're doing in this bill." Vance was on hand to break a possible tie vote Saturday, though his vote ultimately wasn't needed. Still, the vice president met with GOP holdouts in the majority leader's office Saturday as the White House has put pressure on lawmakers to get the bill across the finish line. Meanwhile, Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, warned Sunday that the legislation would be a "political albatross" for Republicans, while suggesting that the bill could even lose support among the GOP, saying "it's not over until it's over." "I think many of my Republican friends know they're walking the plank on this, and we'll see if those who've expressed quiet consternation will actually have the courage of their conviction," Warner said Sunday on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." Video shows Arizona police rescuing baby left alone for days Meet the history buffs spending years studying to become Gettysburg Battlefield guides Saving money vs. saving lives
CNBC
38 minutes ago
- CNBC
Trump's comments on Iran sanctions provide clue to trade talks with China, says analyst
Sara Vakhshouri, Founder and President of SVB Energy International says Trump's recent comments that China can buy Iranian oil may be a positive signal for U.S.-China trade talks. She also discusses the upcoming OPEC meeting.
