Latest news with #C-SPAN
NDTV
a day ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"It's In Your DNA": Pentagon Chief Blasts Reporter On Trump Question
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth launched a blistering attack on the media, accusing journalists of rooting against President Donald Trump and deliberately undermining the success of America's recent military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. "It's like in your DNA and in your blood to cheer against Trump because you want him not to be successful so bad," Pete Hegseth said during a tense Pentagon briefing alongside General Dan Caine. "You have to cheer against the efficacy of these strikes. You have to hope maybe they weren't effective." View this post on Instagram A post shared by C-SPAN (@cspan) The remarks came in response to media reports earlier this week citing a leaked Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessment. The preliminary report suggested that the strikes, while damaging, may have only set back Iran's nuclear programme by several months, a finding that stands in contrast to Trump's claim that the sites had been "obliterated." The administration did not dispute the existence of the DIA report but said that it was based on early data and described it as a "low confidence" assessment. Still, the leak led Hegseth to question the media's motives. "Maybe the way the Trump administration has represented them isn't true. So let's take half-truths, spun information, leaked information, and then spin it," he said. "Spin it in every way we can to try to cause doubt and manipulate the mind, the public mind, over whether or not our brave pilots were successful." Throughout the briefing, Pete Hegseth appeared visibly frustrated, repeatedly characterising the press as fixated on discrediting Trump-era military efforts. He criticised what he called "biased leaks to biased publications," suggesting that some reporters were more interested in scandal than substance. The defence secretary also accused the press of failing to recognise what he described as "historic moments," such as improved military recruiting numbers and increased NATO defence spending. "You're hunting for scandals all the time," he said. The Trump administration launched a forceful PR push to counter a leaked DIA report questioning the impact of US strikes on Iran. Thursday's Pentagon briefing was part of that effort, with President Trump urging viewers to "Watch it!" and claiming, without evidence, that reporters behind the leak would be fired. Pete Hegseth called it unverified and premature. "If you want to know what's going on at Fordow, you better go there and get a big shovel," Hegseth said, referring to one of the targeted Iranian nuclear sites. Asked whether Iran might have moved enriched uranium prior to the strikes, the defence secretary responded, "I'm not aware of any intelligence that I've reviewed that says things were not where they were supposed to be, moved or otherwise."
Buzz Feed
3 days ago
- Politics
- Buzz Feed
JD Vance's Failed Comedy Attempt Sparks Cringe
Vice President JD Vance cranked the cringe dial up to eleven with his latest attempt at a joke at the Ohio Republican Party dinner in Lima, Ohio, on Tuesday. 'I know it's not always easy to be a political candidate, trust me. In Washington, D.C., they have this thing, I think it means, 'We're No.1 in Washington, D.C.'' Vance: All the pink haired people throw up this sign *holds up middle finger* I think that means we're number 1 right? — Acyn (@Acyn) June 25, 2025 @acyn/C-SPAN / Via 'But all the pink-haired people throw up this sign and I think, you that means, 'We're No.1,' right?' He lowered his finger and then added, 'I choose to take that as that symbol in Washington.' But on social media, critics mocked the vice president's so-called gag and joked about him trying to outdo President Donald Trump, who'd earlier dropped an F-bomb while ranting about Israel and Iran breaking a ceasefire. I guess when daddy drops the f bomb you gotta act like you're really cool too… — Lib Dunk (@libdunkmedia) June 25, 2025 @lilbdunkmedia I'm not sure I even understand the joke he was trying to make lol — Lyss💙💛Аліса 🇺🇸 (@lyssa_fella) June 25, 2025 @lyssa_fella He should not try to be whatever he's trying to be. It's pathetic. — Chimes of Freedom (@throbbingvicar) June 25, 2025 @throbbingvicar No JD it means you're number two 💩 — Thomas St James (@Thomasstjames3) June 25, 2025 @thomsstjames3 Negative charisma — Anon (@anon_aii) June 25, 2025 @anon_aii Man, work that tight 5 at an open mic night. — Luka Lakers (@DCAZELY) June 25, 2025 @dcazely What's wrong with these ppl — (@mlatapapi8) June 25, 2025 @mlatapapi8 So, today— the president said 'fuck' in front of the press and the vice president gave the finger in front of a crowd. Remember when MAGA lost their damn minds because Joe Biden said 'son of a bitch' one f'ng time?!? — Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) June 25, 2025 @jojofromjerz Vance built his brand on fake populism and ended up crying about hair dye and hand gestures. From Hillbilly Elegy to high school energy. — Nikos Unity (@nikosunity) June 25, 2025 @nikosunity Huh? — Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) June 25, 2025 @mollyjongfast This dude is so fake and corny it's actually scary — Dan (@D_Danimal) June 25, 2025 @D_Danimal Most classless admin in history. I've known drunken frat boys with more decorum. — DrPareto (@DrPareto2025) June 25, 2025 @drpareto2025 It not even that he has negative aura, it's like if a piece of unusable furniture became a person. — kat ✨ (@KittyyyKatJ) June 25, 2025 @kittyyykatj
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Cable's civic-minded C-SPAN looks for help as streaming takes a toll
C-SPAN, the nonprofit outfit that has brought live gavel-to-gavel congressional coverage to cable TV viewers for decades, is feeling the squeeze faced by the rest of the TV business. As consumers drop their traditional cable and satellite TV subscriptions for streaming platforms, C-SPAN's main funding source is shrinking. The trend poses a threat to one of the rare media institutions that has bipartisan political support, including a fan in the Oval Office. 'It's not a sustainable situation,' said C-SPAN Chief Executive Sam Feist said in an interview. C-SPAN stands for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, and therein lies the problem. The service is supported by cable and satellite operators who have seen their customer base steadily decline as consumers move to streaming platforms that now account for half of all TV viewing, according to recent data from Nielsen. C-SPAN, which reached around 100 million pay TV homes in 2015, is now down to 51 million households. The contraction has led to a significant loss in revenue for C-SPAN, which has never sold advertising. C-SPAN took in $46.3 million in 2024, down 37% from $73 million in 2015, and is now running a deficit. C-SPAN is not a glamorous TV operation. There are no high-priced anchors or slick studio sets. But it does need funding for the 30-plus camera crews that cover every moment the House and Senate are in session, think tank panels, town halls and other political events in Washington and around the country. C-SPAN uses its own cameras in the Capitol, enabling the service to catch the action when government-operated audio and visual equipment is cut off. Feist said C-SPAN can fill its budget gap if companies that run smaller bundles of TV channels — such as Google's YouTube TV and Walt Disney Co.'s Hulu Live TV — would agree to carry its feeds. Around 20 million households subscribe to such online subscription platforms, known as virtual multichannel video program distributors, which stream broadcast and cable channels. It's a big ask. Subscription streaming TV services are under pressure to keep their prices low so they can remain a cheaper alternative to a cable or satellite package. Every new channel increases the cost of a subscription. C-SPAN is currently in discussions with Hulu and YouTube to get carriage. 'We are continuing to work with C-SPAN to find an approach that could support further access to their civic content,' a YouTube representative said. 'We are proud that a large amount of C-SPAN's content is available to viewers on the YouTube main platform, where it is accessible to everyone for free and generates advertising revenue for C-SPAN.' C-SPAN was launched in 1979 when cable TV providers were looking to get in the good graces of local government officials who determined which companies would wire their communities. Offering a civic-minded channel devoted to displaying democracy in action helped smooth the path for the pay TV industry's expansion. C-SPAN went on to become a familiar brand that brought goodwill to cable and satellite companies, which have financed the service ever since. But the C-SPAN legacy is not so meaningful to the upstart streaming services that have a growing number of customers who have never had a traditional pay TV subscription. The stars of C-SPAN have started to weigh in. On June 2, the Senate passed a bipartisan resolution recognizing the anniversary of C-SPAN2, the channel devoted to the chamber's sessions. The resolution said that live coverage of the proceedings needs to be accessible on all platforms. C-SPAN also has support from the country's most prominent TV viewer — President Trump. In recent months, Trump has posted on social media how he watches the channel in the overnight hours when highlights of the previous day, including his own press events, are presented. While cable news channels such as CNN and MSNBC often dither over how much time they should devote to covering Trump's rallies and public events, C-SPAN presents them in their entirety as a matter of course. The Trump White House communications office has praised the approach, which has remained consistent through all modern presidencies. While some streaming outlets carry congressional proceedings, Feist notes that C-SPAN is still the only service that offers every event live over its three channels, even when they occur simultaneously. That was the case for the confirmations of FBI Director Kash Patel, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Feist, who is the former Washington bureau chief of CNN, said the neutral approach of C-SPAN has added value in a media environment where outlets now cater to the partisan leanings of their audiences. He cited an Ipsos poll that shows the political breakdown of its audience as 30% Democrat, 30% Republican and 36% independent. 'It matches the demographic of the country,' Feist said. 'I think it puts us in a unique space in this ecosystem.'
Buzz Feed
4 days ago
- Politics
- Buzz Feed
Donald Trump's HARD F-Bomb Is Going Viral
Donald Trump wasn't very happy about Israel and Iran violating their ceasefire agreement. After Trump claimed both sides reached an agreement, both Israel and Iran continued to fire at each other during the phased ceasefire. "They [Iran] violated it [the ceasefire,] but Israel violated it too. Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and they dropped a load of bombs, the likes of which I've never seen before. The biggest load that we've seen, I'm not happy with Israel, you know, when I say, 'OK, now you have 12 hours, you don't go out in the first hour' and just drop everything you have on them, so I'm not happy with them," he said. "I'm not happy with Iran either, but I'm really unhappy if Israel's going out this morning because of one rocket that didn't land that was shot, perhaps by mistake that didn't land. I'm not happy about that." "You know, we basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the fuck they're doing. Do you understand that?" Some people are surprised a sitting President used this *colorful* language. "I remember when a president using the f bomb would have been like the most shocking thing in the world but somehow it's now the least crazy thing about today," one person commented. Other people have it on replay. And then a bunch of people are surprised about the C-SPAN of it all. "Trump dropping an f-bomb on CSPAN is one of those things that shouldn't feel surprising but somehow did," another person commeneted. This person called it "CSPAN after dark." And this person joked, "This is probably going to be the most viral post @cspan history... Until something else chaotic upstages this in like a month."
Scroll.in
4 days ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Iran, Israel ‘don't know what the f**k they are doing', says Trump after ceasefire violated
Iran and Israel 'have been fighting so long and so hard that they do not know what the f**k they are doing', said United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday, condemning the countries for violating the terms of a ceasefire that had come into force only hours before, reported CNN. Speaking to reporters at the White House before heading to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in The Hague, Trump said he was 'really unhappy' with Tel Aviv, alleging that it 'unloaded' on Iran 'as soon as we made the deal'. 'They did not have to unload and I did not like the fact that the retaliation was very strong,' said the US president. 'In all fairness, Israel unloaded a lot, and now I hear Israel just went out because they felt it was violated by one rocket that did not land anywhere. That is not what we want.' He said he was 'not happy with Iran either', according to C-SPAN. 'But I am really unhappy with Israel going out this morning,' added Trump. 'I have got to get Israel to calm down now.' Here's the complete exchange between President Trump and reporters this morning outside the White House. — CSPAN (@cspan) June 24, 2025 In a social media post, Trump urged Israel not to drop bombs on Iran. 'Israel. Do not drop those bombs,' he said. 'If you do it is a major violation. Bring your pilots home.' In a subsequent post, he said all Israeli planes 'will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly 'Plane Wave' to Iran'. He also claimed that Iran's nuclear facilities will never be rebuilt. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that explosions were heard in Tehran after Trump's statements. The alleged violation of the ceasefire came hours after Tel Aviv and Tehran agreed to the truce after 12 days of conflict. Trump had first made the announcement on social media, saying that Iran and Israel had agreed to a 'complete and total' ceasefire. Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi initially said that there had been no agreement on a ceasefire. However, he added minutes later that the Iranian military operation 'continued until the very last minute ', till 4 am local time. State-run Press TV channel reported at 7.49 am Iranian time that the ceasefire had taken effect. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed that the country had agreed to a proposal by the US for a ceasefire with Iran. However, the prime minister's office said that Israel will 'respond forcefully' to any violations of the agreement. The ceasefire was announced after Iran struck the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which houses US troops. The US president has said no Americans or Qataris were killed or wounded in the attack. On June 13, the Israeli military struck what it claimed were nuclear targets, and also other sites, in Iran with the aim of stalling Tehran's nuclear programme. Iran retaliated with missile attacks on Israel. While Israel has claimed that Iran was 'closer than ever' to obtaining a nuclear weapon, Iran has long maintained that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes. The US joined Israel's war against Iran in the early hours of Sunday. Trump had said that the country carried out a 'very successful attack' on Iranian nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Esfahan. Washington is an ally of Israel and acts as a guarantor of the country's security.
