Latest news with #JenniferGriffin
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘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.' Trump admin appeals federal judge's decision rejecting ban of foreign Harvard students 2028 Dem frontrunner beating Kamala Harris has 0% Black support, poll finds Chicopee's next budget is 6% hike from this year. Here's where spending has increased Trump says he's terminating trade talks with Canada over tax on technology firms Mass. lawmakers get a deal; gun for first on-time (ish) state budget in years Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fox News Star Defends Colleague Attacked By Pete Hegseth
Brit Hume vigorously defended Fox News colleague Jennifer Griffin after she was attacked by Fox News alum Pete Hegseth at a press conference Thursday. (Watch the video below.) Hegseth, who graduated from the curvy couch of 'Fox & Friends' to defense secretary under President Donald Trump, called Griffin, the network's chief national security correspondent, 'the worst' in distorting Trump's words. On 'America's Newsroom' shortly after the tense exchange in a press conference about the U.S. bombing of Iran nuclear sites, Hume asked anchor Dana Perino for a moment. '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,' Hume said. 'Her professionalism, her knowledge and her experience at the Pentagon is unmatched, and I have had and still have the greatest regard for her. The attack on her was unfair.' Hegseth was still attempting damage control after an early Pentagon report was leaked that contradicted the president's claim that the bombing mission obliterated Iran's nuclear program. When Griffin asked him about a determination that Iran may have moved its highly enriched uranium before the strike, Hegseth got personal. 'Of course, we're watching every single aspect,' Hegseth replied. 'But Jennifer, you've been about the worst, the one who misrepresents the most intentionally what the president says.' Griffin defended her coverage and said, 'I take issue with that.' She later appeared on 'Fox & Friends,' where she noted that Hegseth came out 'quite so emotionally against the press' before shifting to Iran's retaliatory strike on a U.S. base in Qatar. Pete Hegseth Calls Former Fox News Colleague 'The Worst' In Tense Iran Presser Trump Threatens To Sue NYT For 'Unpatriotic' Reporting, Gets Feisty Response Army Veteran Hits 'Thin-Skinned' Pete Hegseth With A Blunt 'Wish'
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Fox News star Brit Hume turns on former colleague Pete Hegseth for outburst over Iran bombing intel
Brit Hume jumped to the defense of his Fox News colleague Jennifer Griffin and slammed former co-worker Pete Hegseth for their clash over the Iran bombing. Hegseth clashed with much of the press in his briefing on the strikes after several outlets claimed they had only set back Iran's nuclear facilities by months rather than decimating them. However, he shared particular scorn for Fox's National Security Correspondent Griffin, saying: 'Jennifer, you've been about the worst, the one who misrepresents the most intentionally what the President says.' Hume, a longtime fixture at the network, defended Griffin in a week where Tucker Carlson joined the parade of former Fox News anchors giving friendly fire her way. 'I have then, have had and still have, the greatest regard for her. The attack on her was unfair,' Hume said, criticizing Hegseth. He said the attack was not deserved and Griffin's 'professionalism, knowledge and experience at the Pentagon is unmatched.' Hegseth, a former weekend host for Fox News before being tapped to run the Department of Defense for Trump, was openly hostile to the media during a Thursday morning press conference at the Pentagon. The entire briefing was seemingly held to push back on reports indicating that Operation Midnight Hammer - the name of the weekend bombing mission - was ineffective. Griffin, a veteran Pentagon reporter who's been with the channel for decades, asked Hegseth to clarify whether Iran's already enriched uranium was destroyed by the U.S. strikes. 'There's nothing that I've seen that suggests that what we didn't hit exactly what we wanted to hit in those locations,' the Pentagon secretary responded cagily. Griffin then asked: 'That's not the question, though. It's about highly enriched uranium. Do you have certainty that all the highly enriched uranium was inside the Fordow mountain, or some of it?' 'There were satellite photos that showed more than a dozen trucks there two days in advance? Are you certain none of that highly enriched uranium was moved?' 'Of course, we're watching every single aspect,' Hegseth responded before bizarrely turning on his old colleague. 'But Jennifer, you've been about the worst, the one who misrepresents the most intentionally what the President says.' The veteran Pentagon reporter immediately interjected, highlighting to Hegseth how she was the first journalist to reveal how the operation targeted the nuclear facility's ventilation shafts and more. 'I was the first to report about the ventilation shafts on Saturday night, and in fact, I was the first to describe the B-2 bombers, the refueling, the entire mission, with great accuracy,' the Fox News correspondent retorted. 'So I take issue with that,' she added. Satellite imagery showed trucks arriving at the Fordow nuclear facility just days before the strikes, leading to questions about whether the Iranians moved their enriched uranium to another location before the U.S. bombs were dropped. '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,' Hegseth later told another reporter. Multiple sources familiar with an initial battle damage assessment told CNN and the New York Times that the strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities only set back the country's nuclear program by a few months. 'It is preliminary,' Hegseth said of the leaked assessment on Thursday. 'It points out it is not coordinated with the intelligence community at all, there is low confidence in this report, there are gaps.' The bigger issue, according to Hegseth, is the unpatriotic media. 'You cheer against Trump so hard, it's like in your DNA and blood,' Hegseth charged the reporters in the room. 'You have to cheer against the efficacy of these strikes.' 'Your people are trying to leak and spin that it wasn't successful, it's irresponsible.' The Pentagon secretary also invoked statements from CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Both intelligence chiefs put out statements on Wednesday night stating that the damage done to Iran's nuclear sites will take 'years' to rebuild. 'CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran's nuclear program has been severely damaged by recent targeted strikes,' Hegseth said. It came just days after Carlson admitted he wanted her out when he worked at Fox News, referring to her as 'the deepest of the deep state.' As Trump announced a ceasefire - one Carlson reacted to by tweeting: 'Thank God' - he released an episode of his show where he continued to question his ex-employers coverage, zeroing in on Griffin, the network's Chief National Security Correspondent. 'Jennifer Griffin is, even by the standards of Pentagon employees, she's not technically an employee of the Pentagon. She's a shill, obviously, for the deepest of the deep states. But she's like a parody. She's like parody. It's like the whole thing,' Carlson said. Carlson and fellow former Fox host Clayton Morris joked about Griffin's water-carrying for the 'deep state.' 'The crazy thing is Jen Griffin is a liar, but also very liberal, true Trump hater, to the point where I complained about her and I really tried not to complain about other people at Fox when I worked there,' he said. 'She was discrediting the channel, she was such a Trump hatter, and it was emotional.' He even went to one of his superiors at the network and suggested Griffin wasn't helping. Carlson said he asked: 'She's an idiot. She doesn't tell the truth. She misleads our viewers. And she's like a screaming liberal who hates Trump, who our viewers love. So what are we getting out of this?' The response he got from the network was that 'you could not touch Jennifer Griffin.' Morris noted that Griffin has an office at the Pentagon, suggesting she may be presenting bias in her coverage based on how close to her sources she is.
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Evening Edition: The Pentagon Shares Damage Assessment Of Iranian Nuclear Facilities
The total damage to three Iranian nuclear sites after U.S. bombing strikes continues to be assessed, the Pentagon says the mission was a complete success stopping Iran's ability to develop a nuclear weapon. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held a press briefing using various descriptions as – destroying, obliterating, decimating – the Iranian potential to enrich weapons grade uranium. There have been media reports and other military experts that question the claims the sites were destroyed or just set back by months or years. Fox's John Saucier speaks to Jennifer Griffin, Chief National Security Correspondent for FOX News Channel, who says no one denies the success of the mission but the overall assessment of the damage is still being made. Click Here To Follow 'The FOX News Rundown: Evening Edition' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hegseth Uncorks Deranged Early-Morning Rant About Iran Raid Leak
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has mounted a furious early morning rant over the U.S. strikes against Iran, accusing the press of trying to 'manipulate the public's mind' about the success of the attack. As Iran's supreme leader downplayed the impact of the strike with a social media post on Thursday morning, a very animated Hegseth held an 8 am press conference at the Pentagon to once again insist the country's nuclear facilities were 'decimated' and lash out at a leaked intelligence report suggesting otherwise. But in his angry tirade, Hegseth took particular aim at the press in the room for covering the leaked preliminary intelligence report, even citing his former employer, Fox News. 'You cheer against Trump so hard; it's like in your DNA and in your blood to cheer against Trump because you want him not to be successful so bad that you have to cheer against the efficacy of these strikes,' he told them. 'How many stories have been written about how hard it is, I don't know, to fly a plane for 36 hours? Has MSNBC done that story? Has Fox? Have we done the story?' he added. 'How about how difficult it is to shoot a drone from an F15 or 16 or F22 or F35? Or what it's like to man a patriot battery, or how hard it is to refuel mid-air?' Later, when his former Fox News colleague, Jennifer Griffin, one of the Pentagon's most respected reporters, asked whether uranium had been moved from Fordo before the U.S. strikes, Hegseth did not answer and instead attacked her personally. Griffin, looking momentarily stunned, clapped back. 'I was the first to describe the B2 bombers, the refueling, the entire mission with great accuracy. So I take issue with that,' she said. The tone of the press conference was emblematic of the fury within the White House over the leaked intelligence assessment, which suggested that the strikes only set Iran's enrichment program back by six months but did not destroy its core components. The preliminary analysis was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon's intelligence arm, and reportedly found that the bombing of Iran's nuclear sites sealed off the entrances to two of the facilities but did not collapse their underground buildings. But during the press conference, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, showed a video that appeared to show the entrances or tunnels into the Fordo nuclear facility collapsing by the force of 30,000-pound bunker bombs unleashed on Saturday. He also praised the Pentagon analysts who spent years assessing the Fordo nuclear site buried in the Iranian mountains, along with the men and women who took part in the mission. The presentation was not as muted as the response Caine gave on Sunday, when he told reporters that, while there was 'severe damage and destruction' at Fordo, it would take time for the final battle damage to be fully assessed. But when a reporter later asked him whether he would use the word 'obliterated', Hegseth intervened before the highly respected general could answer. 'I can say obliterated,' Hegseth said. 'He's not involved in politics; he didn't do politics. That's my lane to understand and translate, and talk about those types of things. 'So I can use the word obliterated. He could use: 'defeat, destroy, assess'–all of those things." Another reporter asked Caine if he had been pressured to shift his stance, to which he replied: 'No, I have not... I've never been pressured by the president or the secretary to do anything other than tell them exactly what I'm thinking.' The news conference came hours after Iran's supreme leader made his first comments on the strikes since they took place, claiming they did 'nothing significant' to the regime's nuclear facilities. 'For a great country and nation like Iran, the very mention of surrender is an insult,' he added. Donald Trump has also spent days pushing back against the intelligence report, which he branded as 'fake news' that had demeaned U.S. pilots. 'These Patriots were very upset! After 36 hours of dangerously flying through Enemy Territory, they landed, they knew the Success was LEGENDARY, and then, two days later, they started reading Fake News by CNN and The Failing New York Times. They felt terribly!' he said in a Truth Social post.
