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Newsweek
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Pete Hegseth Trashing Former Fox News Colleague Sparks Fury from Critics
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a former Fox & Friends Weekend co-host, publicly criticized his former colleague Jennifer Griffin, calling her "about the worst" during a Thursday morning press briefing, taking issue with her reporting and line of questioning on the administration's recent strikes against Iran. His remarks, which also lambasted the media and numerous outlets, have sparked backlash from critics and journalists. Why It Matters The exchange comes days after the U.S. struck three Iranian nuclear sites, Isfahan, Fordow and Natanz. The Trump administration has lauded the military mission, in which B-2 stealth bombers used bunker bombs on Fordow, which is deep underground inside a mountain. Trump has said that the strikes resulted in "total obliteration" of the facility, although the Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA) preliminary report suggests damage and not complete destruction. The DIA is part of the Pentagon, which Hegseth oversees. Hegseth's rebuke of Griffin comes as members of the Trump administration increasingly use personal attacks in response to dissenting views or media coverage. During the briefing, Hegseth criticized the press for its reporting on the leaked initial damage assessment that cast doubt on the totality of the strikes, echoing sentiments expressed by the president on his social media platform. (L): Jennifer Griffin attends AI Honors hosted by the Washington AI Network at Waldorf Astoria on June 03, 2025 in Washington, DC. (R): Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon,... (L): Jennifer Griffin attends AI Honors hosted by the Washington AI Network at Waldorf Astoria on June 03, 2025 in Washington, DC. (R): Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon, Thursday, June 26, 2025, in Washington. Morefor Haddad Media/ AP Photo/Kevin Wolf What To Know On Thursday, during the question and answer portion of the briefing, Griffin, Fox News' chief national security correspondent, asked Hegseth, "Do you have certainty that all the highly enriched uranium was inside the Fordow mountain, or some of it, because there were satellite photos that showed more than a dozen trucks there two days in advance—are you certain that none of the highly enriched uranium was moved?" Uranium enrichment increases the concentration of uranium-235, the isotope necessary to sustain a nuclear chain reaction used in both power generation and nuclear weapons. The process is central to weapons development, which the U.S. and Israel accuse Iran of pursuing, though Tehran insists its nuclear program is solely for energy purposes. The comment comes after the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, said, "We do not have information on the whereabouts of this material" in reference to 900 pounds of potentially enriched uranium that Iranian officials said had been removed ahead of the strikes. Grossi said the comments on Fox News The Story with Martha MacCallum on Tuesday. Hegseth responded to Griffin first stating, "of course we are watching ever single aspect," and then took a jab at the veteran journalist, saying, "Jennifer, you've been about the worst. The one who misrepresents the most intentionally." Griffin, who appeared shocked, responded by pointing out her reporting on the B-2s and the mission as a whole, adding, "So, I take issue with that." Many have called out Hegseth's response to Griffin and noted her storied journalist background, with another former Fox colleague Brit Hume saying it was an undeserved "attack." Newsweek reached out to Fox New's press team for comment via email on Thursday, and they directed Newsweek to Hume's comments on the matter. During the press briefing, he accused the media of twisting "half-truths" due to what he described as a deep-seated desire to "cheer against Trump so hard," telling the press room it's "in your DNA" to root against the president. Trump applauded the press conference, writing on Truth Social, "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!" What People Are Saying Brit Hume, Fox News Channel's chief political analyst, said on Thursday: "I'd like to say a word if I may, Dana, about Jennifer Griffin, who was attacked by the Defense Secretary today. An attack she certainly in my view did not deserve. Her professionalism, her knowledge, her experience at the Pentagon is unmatched. I have had and still have the greatest regard for her. The attack on her was unfair." Ron Filipkowski, the editor-in-chief of the left leaning and Trump-critical MeidasTouch, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "Hegseth even attacks the Fox correspondent. This whole thing is just attacking the media." Daniel Koh, former deputy assistant to the president and deputy director of the White House office of intergovernmental affairs, wrote in an X post on Thursday: "What an embarrassment for our country. @JenGriffinFNC— well-respected across the aisle — asked a fair question re: actions in Iran. She handled @PeteHegseth's absurd response with far more professionalism than he showed her. If a question shakes him, he can't handle the job." Brian Krassenstein, who has over 900,000 followers on X, wrote: "Fox News Reporter Jennifer Griffin just asked an incredibly important question and Hegseth completely loses it, going off on is better than this!" Republicans Against Trump wrote on X: "What a jerk." What Happens Next More detailed intelligence on the impact of the strikes is expected to be released in the coming days, as officials assess the extent of the damage.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Donald Trump Says He And Elon Musk 'Had A Great Relationship' But 'I Don't Know If We Will Anymore'
Donald Trump made his first comments about Elon Musk since his billionaire ally went on a tirade about the president's chief legislative effort, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 'Elon and I have a great relationship,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. 'I don't know if we will anymore. I was surprised, because you were here, everyone in this room practically was here as we had a wonderful sendoff. He said wonderful things about me.' More from Deadline Paramount Will Be A "Melting Ice Cube" If Trump Dooms Skydance Deal, Ex-FCC Commissioner Rob McDowell Says - But Even A 2-Member Agency Could Still Approve It Trump Administration To Rebrand Biden-Era Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute, Commerce Secretary Says At AI Honors: "We're Not Going To Regulate It" Trump Launches Punitive Biden Probe, New Travel Bans, But Still Silent On Elon Musk's "Kill Bill" Attack On Agenda Trump's comments came as Musk, in the past 48 hours, has railed against Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' warning that it would bankrupt the United States. Despite efforts by White House officials to point out where think Musk is wrong, he has not stopped his criticisms on X. The president appeared with Musk just last Friday, as the billionaire departed his official role as a special government employee. Musk led the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which slashed federal agencies and fired hundreds of thousands of federal workers. Trump said that Musk 'knew the inner workings' of the bill, and 'never had a problem until right after he left.' 'I'm very disappointed in Elon,' Trump said. 'I think he misses the place,' he said. Just before Trump spoke to reporters, Musk posted one of Trump's past tweets from 2012, in which he wrote, 'No member of Congress should be eligible for re-election if our country's budget is not balanced—deficits not allowed!' 'I couldn't agree more!' Musk wrote. Musk's broadside against the legislation has threatened the fragile coalition of GOP lawmakers in the House, who passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act by one vote last month. The Senate is now taking up the legislation. Musk has called for a 'slim beautiful bill,' as the current legislation encompassed tax cuts, border security funding and defense all in one massive piece of legislation. Trump suggested that Musk's opposition was motivated by the fact that the legislation removes an electric vehicle mandate, which provided subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles. That is beneficial to Musk's Tesla. 'Elon knew this from the beginning,' Trump said, referring to his opposition to the subsidies. As cable networks carried Trump's remarks, Musk seemed to offer a response. 'Whatever. Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill, even though no oil & gas subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill. In the entire history of civilization, there has never been legislation that both big and beautiful. Everyone knows this! Either you get a big and ugly bill or a slim and beautiful bill. Slim and beautiful is the way.' The president also suggested that Musk was upset that Trump ended the nomination of Jared Isaacman, an ally of the billionaire, to serve as NASA administrator. Trump said that it was because Isaacman 'happened to be a Democrat,' something that he did not think was 'appropriate.' Best of Deadline 'Stick' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The Apple TV+ Golf Series 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? 'Stick' Release Guide: When Do New Episodes Come Out?
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Artificial Intelligence Influencers To Get D.C.'s Acclaim At The AI Honors Ceremony
A black-tie gala next week will center on the topic of just about any conversation in D.C. that touches on tech: Artificial intelligence. The inaugural AI Honors, presented on Tuesday by the Washington AI Network at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, will honor lawmakers, tech executives, researchers and others who are influential voices in AI. More from Deadline New York Times, Amazon Unveil AI Content Licensing Deal Donald Trump Urges Judge Not To Dismiss CBS '60 Minutes' Lawsuit As Paramount And POTUS Teams Talk Settlement Elon Musk Bids Farewell As Official Trump Administration Role Comes To An End Honorees include Sen. Todd Young (R-IN); Rep. Jay Olbernolte (R-CA) and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), chairs of the House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence; Vice Admiral Frank Whitworth, director of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency; Jack Hindary, CEO of SandboxAQ; Patricia K. Falcone, deputy director for science and technology at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; and Father Paolo Benanti, the Vatican's official adviser on AI ethics. Tammy Haddad, the founder of the Washington AI Network, said in a statement, 'The AI Honors are designed to recognize the people and ideas driving meaningful progress—and to connect leaders from across the ecosystem in a setting worthy of the moment.' The ceremony sponsors include OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon, among other tech and AI companies. The event is happening around the Special Competitive Studies Project's AI+Expo. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About Netflix's 'The Thursday Murder Club' So Far 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery
