‘You have been the worst': Secretary Hegseth blasts former Fox colleague
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had harsh words for his former Fox News colleague, who asked him a question on Thursday about the Trump administration's recent strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.
Jennifer Griffin, Fox's chief national security correspondent, asked Hegseth about the effectiveness of the strikes and if he was certain there was highly enriched uranium inside the Fordow mountain in Iran.
She referenced satellite photos that showed more than a dozen trucks at the site two days in advance.
'Are you certain none of that highly enriched uranium was moved?' Griffin asked Hegseth.
Hegseth, a former host on 'Fox & Friends,' responded by criticizing Griffin and her reporting.
'Of course we're watching every single aspect. But Jennifer, you've been about the worst, the one who misrepresents the most intentionally what the president says,' Hegseth said.
In response, Griffin defended her reporting.
'I was the first to describe the B-2 bombers, the refueling, the entire mission with great accuracy,' she said. 'So I take issue with that.'
Hegseth then said that the strikes on Iran were 'the most complex and secretive military operation in history.'
'I appreciate you acknowledging that this is the most successful mission based on operational security that this department has done since you've been here,' he told Griffin, 'and I appreciate that.'
Fox News chief political analyst Brit Hume defended his colleague and said that Hegseth's comments were 'unfair.'
'Her professionalism, her knowledge, her experience at the Pentagon is unmatched, and I have had and still have the greatest regard for her,' Hume said on the network. 'The attack on her was unfair.'
Following the U.S.'s strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities on Saturday, President Donald Trump claimed that the strikes 'obliterated' Iran's nuclear program.
The following week, CNN and The New York Times reported that the strikes had set Iran's nuclear program back only by a few months.
Trump, for his part, lashed out at the outlets on Truth Social, with one post claiming that their reporting on Iran was 'fake.'
'FAKE NEWS REPORTERS FROM CNN & THE NEW YORK TIMES SHOULD BE FIRED, IMMEDIATELY!!!' Trump wrote in another post. 'BAD PEOPLE WITH EVIL INTENTIONS!!!''
The New York Times reported on Thursday that Trump is threatening to sue the paper and CNN.
A personal lawyer for Trump sent a letter to The New York Times, stating that the paper had damaged Trump's reputation, according to the paper.
The lawyer demanded the Times 'retract and apologize for' their piece on Iran, The New York Times reported.
'No retraction is needed,' responded the New York Times's lawyer, David McCraw. 'No apology will be forthcoming. We told the truth to the best of our ability. We will continue to do so.'
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