It wouldn’t be a day in U.S. politics without a media-versus-politician battle—and this week, it’s CNN’s Natasha Bertrand in the hot seat, with former President Donald Trump unleashing a storm of criticism after her latest report about U.S. military strikes in Iran.
Bertrand’s Report Raises Eyebrows Over U.S. Bombing Impact
On Tuesday, CNN Pentagon correspondent Natasha Bertrand published a piece claiming that recent U.S. airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites may not have achieved their intended goal.
According to sources she cited—seven people familiar with a U.S. intelligence assessment—the strikes likely only delayed Iran’s nuclear program by a few months and failed to destroy key components.
Bertrand discussed the report on-air as well, stirring immediate backlash—not just from conservative pundits, but directly from Trump himself.
Trump Erupts on Truth Social and Demands Bertrand Be Fired
Never one to hold back, Trump took to his Truth Social platform with a fiery post on Wednesday.
He demanded CNN fire Bertrand, accusing her of “lying” about the Iran strikes and undermining the American fighter pilots who carried out the mission.
“She should be immediately reprimanded and then thrown out like a dog,” Trump wrote.
“She lied on the Laptop from Hell story, and now she lied again… when in fact, our Patriot Pilots did a GREAT job and hit ‘pay dirt’ — TOTAL OBLITERATION!”
He also claimed Bertrand lacked the credibility to be an on-air correspondent, doubling down on his long-standing criticism of CNN.
White House Joins the Pushback
The Trump administration wasn’t the only one to slam Bertrand.
Former Trump White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the report as false and accused someone in the intelligence community of leaking classified information to the media.
Leavitt insisted the mission was perfectly executed and that dropping fourteen 30,000-pound bombs would result in nothing less than “total obliteration.”
A Familiar Flashpoint in the Media War
For many conservatives, this controversy is just the latest chapter in Bertrand’s media history. She first drew criticism nearly a decade ago during her time at Business Insider, later gaining attention for amplifying the now-discredited Steele Dossier and co-authoring the Politico story labeling Hunter Biden’s laptop as “Russian disinformation.”
Critics, including conservative pundits like Mollie Hemingway and journalists like Glenn Greenwald, have long accused her of being overly cozy with national security insiders. Some even argue she’s a reliable amplifier of intelligence narratives that lean left.
Glenn Greenwald and Others Reignite
Longstanding Criticisms
When CNN hired Bertrand in 2021 as a national security and Pentagon correspondent, it triggered immediate backlash from conservative media voices.
Writer Luke Thompson of the National Review claimed no journalist had done more to fuel what he called “paranoid national security fantasies” on the center-left.
Erik Wemple of The Washington Post had also previously questioned Bertrand’s reporting practices, especially surrounding the Steele Dossier.
He criticized her for gaining prominence by lending credibility to unverified claims, calling her work “Swiss cheese-filled reporting.”
CNN Defends Its Reporter
Despite the backlash, CNN didn’t back down.
The network stood by Bertrand and her reporting, issuing a statement affirming that she and her colleagues accurately shared early intelligence assessments—which, the network added, are subject to change as more data becomes available.
“CNN stands 100% behind Natasha Bertrand’s journalism,” the network said.
“We do not believe it is reasonable to criticize reporters for accurately reporting the existence of the assessment and characterizing its findings.”
Meanwhile, Veteran Journalist Offers an Alternative Take
Interestingly, veteran reporter Seymour Hersh published his own piece, titled The Burial Plan, which offered a different angle.
His sources suggested that the U.S. and Israel may have intentionally sealed off Iran’s nuclear material underground—not destroyed it—making it inaccessible but still present.
According to Hersh, the plan was to bury the material under rubble, not obliterate it.
Media Firestorm Continues With No Clear Resolution
For now, the truth about what exactly happened during those strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities remains murky.
What’s clear, however, is that Bertrand’s report has reignited a deep divide—not just about national security policy, but also about the media’s role in shaping public understanding of it.
Whether Bertrand’s early reporting stands the test of time—or Trump’s version proves accurate—remains to be seen.
But the war of words shows no signs of slowing down.