Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell ripped into legacy media on Sunday, accusing outlets of fueling the “Iranian propaganda machine” because they were so desperate to smear President Donald Trump that they were willing to accept any collateral damage that followed — even if the majority of the damage landed on American service members.
Parnell showcased a headline from The Washington Post that cast doubt on the success of the recent strikes carried out by American service members against Iranian nuclear sites — strikes that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Trump, backed by multiple intelligence sources, had declared to be unqualified successes.
“The mainstream media is engaging in a weaponized smear campaign against America & our incredible troops.
The Fake News are knowingly using incomplete, out-of-context & flat-out false intelligence ‘assessments’ to seemingly do the bidding of the Iranian propaganda machine,” Parnell posted along with a screenshot of The Washington Post’s story. “This isn’t journalism, it’s political activism.”
The mainstream media is engaging in a weaponized smear campaign against America & our incredible troops.
The Fake News are knowingly using incomplete, out-of-context & flat-out false intelligence “assessments” to seemingly do the bidding of the Iranian propaganda machine.
This… pic.twitter.com/fIAScWp4x7
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellUSA) June 29, 2025
The screenshot he shared read, “Breaking News: U.S. intelligence obtained private communication among Iranian officials, discussing this month’s military strikes on Iran’s nuclear program and remarking that the attack was less devastating than they expected.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took a similar tone at the press conference he held late last week, sharing detailed information about the strikes and whether or not the intended targets had been “obliterated” before he turned on the media.
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“You, and I mean specifically you, the press corps, because you cheer against Trump so hard, like in your DNA and in your blood, to cheer against Trump. You want him not to be successful so bad, you have to cheer against the efficacy of the strikes,” Hegseth said. “You have to hope they were not effective. Let’s take half-truths, spun information, leaked information, and then spin it, spin it in every way we can to try to cause doubt and manipulate the public mind over whether or not our brave pilots were successful.”
“Time and time again, classified information is leaked or peddled for political purposes to try to make the president look bad. And what’s really happening is you’re undermining the success of incredible B-2 pilots and incredible F-35 pilots and incredible refuelers and incredible air defenders who accomplished their mission, set back a nuclear program in ways that other presidents would have dreamed,” he continued.
