CNN host Jake Tapper said on Friday that it was “deranged” and “dangerous” of President Donald Trump to accuse the network and New York Times reporter David Sanger of “treason” over their Iran war coverage, which pointed out still-functional facets of Iran’s military.
“The New York Times has not reported that the Iranians are ‘doing well militarily,’ nor has CNN,” said Tapper. “The New York Times and CNN have reported, as is accurate, that despite devastating U.S. and Israeli blows … the Iranians continue to have some military abilities.”
Trump went off on Sanger during a two-minute rant Friday aboard Air Force One, calling him a “fake guy” and claiming the U.S. “had a total military victory” in Iran, only for “fake news” outlets like the Times and CNN to “write about it incorrectly.”
“I actually think it’s sort of treasonous what you write, but you and The New York Times and CNN, you should be ashamed of this,” Trump told the White House and national security correspondent. “I actually think it’s treason when you write like they’re doing well militarily.”
Tapper noted on “The Lead” that the allegation is “all part of a Trump campaign.”
He explained Friday, “Here’s a Truth Social post from earlier this week: ’When the Fake News says that the Iranian enemy is doing well, Military, against us, it’s virtual TREASON in that it is such a false, and even preposterous, statement. They are aiding and abetting the enemy!”
The Times on Tuesday reported that U.S. intelligence itself shows Iran still has “operational access to 30 of its 33 missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz,” through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes, contradicting Trump’s claims of complete U.S. dominance over Iran.
Tapper said CNN similarly cited U.S. intelligence in April when reporting, “Roughly half of Iran’s missile launchers are still intact and thousands of one-way attack drones remain in Iran’s arsenal,” and noted Friday, “All of what the Times and CNN have reported is 100% true.”
“This is what the intelligence run by Trump administration agencies is assessing,” he said. “Now the second point, reporting these facts isn’t treason and it’s deranged for any president to say such a thing — and potentially dangerous for the reporters he’s accusing of treason.”
Tapper noted that the Constitution clearly defines treason as “levying war” against the U.S. or “adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.” He said the courts have similarly long defined treason as “concrete actions with traitorous intent, not reporting facts.”
“The president’s real issue here is not with us,” Tapper said Friday. “It is with the facts that we are reporting and with the intelligence reports that contradict his claims. His real issue is the fact that the war isn’t over.”
He concluded, “And it seems his real issue is that there are still some of us willing to tell the American people these facts despite his best efforts.”