Hegseth criticized his former Fox News colleague, Jennifer Griffin, as “about the worst, the one who misrepresents the most intentionally what the president says” in his Pentagon news conference Thursday.
Griffin, Fox’s chief national security correspondent, said, “I take issue with that” and defended her reporting on the U.S. bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, right, take part in a news conference at the Pentagon, Thursday, June 26, 2025 in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, right, take part in a news conference at the Pentagon, Thursday, June 26, 2025 in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
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Hegseth, a Fox News anchor before Trump appointed him defense secretary, repeatedly criticized the media for its reporting on an initial assessment of the weekend’s bombing that questioned how much damage was done to Iran’s nuclear program.
Griffin had asked Hegseth about whether there was any certainty that highly enriched uranium was stored at the mountain bunker bombed by the U.S., given satellite photos that showed more than a dozen trucks were seen there two days in advance.
“Of course, we’re watching every single aspect,” Hegseth said. “But, Jennifer, you’ve been about the worst, the one who misrepresents the most intentionally what the president says.”