Hegseth complains about media reporting on dead troops
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested Wednesday that media reports about American troops being killed after the United States went to war with Iran are just to make President Donald Trump “look bad.”
In a stunning attack on reporters during a Pentagon news conference, the former News host and Army veteran was touting the early achievements of Trump’s Middle East conflict when he complained about “tragic things” being in the “top news.”
His comments came after six U.S. service members were killed over the weekend in a drone strike in Kuwait.
In direct comments aimed at “fake news,” Hegseth said at the press conference: “We have taken control of Iran’s airspace and waterways without boots on the ground. We control its destiny. But when a few drones make it through or tragic things happen, it becomes front page news again.”
Hegseth went on to say, “I get it, the press just wants to make the president look bad. But try reporting the truth for once.” (See a clip of his comments below.)
Hegseth:”This is what fake news misses. We have taken control of Iran’s airspace and waterways without boots on the ground. But when a few drones make it through or tragic things happen, it’s front-page news. I get it: the press just wants to make the president look bad, but try it… pic.twitter.com/vpW6z85ZPz
– Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 4, 2026
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Hegseth: “This is what fake news misses. We have taken control of Iran’s airspace and waterways without boots on the ground. But when a few drones make it through or tragic things happen, it’s front-page news. I get it: the press just wants to make the president look bad, but try it… pic.twitter.com/vpW6z85ZPz
– Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 4, 2026
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The defense secretary sought to reimagine the United States’ role in escalating the war with Iran following its deadly attacks on the country over the weekend.
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The United States has”There are no stupid rules of engagement,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday.
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Hegseth: “This is what the fake news misses. We’ve taken control of Iran’s airspace and waterways without boots on the ground. But when a few drones make it through or tragic things happen, it’s front page news. I get it: the press just wants to make the president look bad, but try it… pic.twitter.com/vpW6z85ZPz
– Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 4, 2026
The soldiers killed Sunday by an Iranian drone strike were based at an operations center in the heart of a civilian port in Kuwait, miles from the main army base.
Four of the six fatalities were members of an Iowa unit of the U.S. Army Reserve, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
The department identified them as Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of Des Moines, Iowa; Sergeant. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; and Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska.
Two soldiers have not yet been publicly identified.
“Sadly, there will probably be more before it’s over. That’s the way it is,” Trump said of the US troop deaths on Monday.
Hegseth’s comments were raised with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday in her first briefing with reporters since airstrikes against Iran triggered counterstrikes.
Pressed by Kaitlan Collins, CNN’s chief White House correspondent, Leavitt initially dismissed the idea that Hegseth was complaining about the media.
“That’s not what the secretary said, Kaitlan. And that’s not what the secretary meant and you know it. You know you’re being disingenuous,” she snapped.
When Collins read Hegseth’s quote verbatim, Leavitt responded: “The press just wants to make the president look bad. That’s a fact.”
Th Throughout his briefing, Hegseth was at pains to emphasize how the United States is dominating the five-day war, which Trump entered without congressional approval.
Still, the defense secretary admitted that some Iranian strikes would still hit their targets.
“This doesn’t mean we can stop everything, but we made sure that the maximum possible defense and maximum force protection was established before we went on the offensive,” he said.
Dismiss reported concerns Regarding the dwindling US ammunition stockpile, he stated that the United States can continue to wage war “easily as long as it is necessary.”
“Iran cannot survive us,” Hegseth insisted. “We are going to make sure, through the violence of action and our offensive and defensive capabilities, that we set the tone and the pace of this fight.”
via News
Signaling a potentially longer conflict than had previously been hinted at l To the Trump administration, he added: “You can say four weeks, but it could be six, it could be eight, it could be three.”
“Ultimately, we set the pace and pace,” he added.
Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, echoed Hegseth, noting that the United States “has enough precision munitions for the task at hand, both on offense and defense.”
your comments follow Reuters report Defense contractors are expected to visit the White House on Friday as the Trump administration wants to ensure it has adequate weapons stockpiles, given that the conflict with Iran has forced the United States to use up many of its munitions.