Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth blasted the “fake news” for reporting on the deaths of six U.S. service members killed in an Iranian drone attack and claimed the media wants to make President Donald Trump “look bad.”
Hegseth made the remark Wednesday during a press briefing at the Pentagon concerning the joint U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran.
Hegseth claimed that U.S. and Israeli forces would soon be in control of Iran but acknowledged that the country “will still be able to shoot some missiles" and attempt to attack U.S. embassies and bases.
“They are terrorists, after all, and they need to target civilians because they can't fight toe to toe, but we will find them, and we will kill them,” Hegseth said. He then pivoted his attack to the press.
“This is what the fake news misses. We’ve taken control of Iran’s airspace and waterways without boots on the ground. We control their fate. But when a few drones get through or tragic things happen, it’s front page news,” Hegseth continued, appearing to refer to Sunday’s deadly attack on a U.S. command center in Kuwait.
He added: “I get it. The press only wants to make the president look bad, but try for once to report the reality.”
Later in the briefing, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair General Dan Caine paid tribute to the six fallen soldiers and identified four as Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, Capt. Cody Khork, Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens and Sgt. Declan Coady. The two other soldiers have not been identified until officials inform their families.
“To our Gold Star families, to our wounded warriors and their loved ones, we will never forget your sacrifice,” Caine said.
Hegseth’s attack on the press quickly drew criticism from reporters, political strategists, and a veteran.
Dan Lamothe, who covers military affairs for The Washington Post, highlighted that the Pentagon press corps “has a long history of covering U.S. military casualties” under previous Democratic and Republican administrations.
“Under Bush. Under Obama. Under Biden. And yes, under Trump,” Lamothe posted on X. “Those efforts haven't always been perfect. But they've highlighted sacrifices by American service members and their families, and shortcomings that sometimes allowed those deaths to happen. We'll continue to do so. It's too important to stop.”
Eric Mitchell, a U.S. Marine veteran, said he had “respect” for Hegseth but described his comment about the media as “strange.”
“Pentagon is supposed to share the hard facts and be asked the tough questions about battle damage and troops status, no feelings involved,” Mitchell replied to Lamothe’s post on X. “I don’t take the media asking questions as picking on the president this has been done and asked for decades.”
Natasha Bertrand, a CNN Pentagon and national security correspondent, paraphrased Hegseth’s remarks and simply added: “Six US service members died Sunday.”
The group Republicans Against Trump also shared the clip of Hegseth’s remark and wrote: “Pete Hegseth complains the press is making Trump look bad by covering U.S. service members killed during the Iran war.”
The six soldiers who died in the attack on the Kuwait command center were members of the Army Reserve, assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, and played a crucial role in logistics, ensuring troops received vital food, water, fuel, ammunition and equipment, officials said.
Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, a mother-of- two from White Bear Lake, Minnesota, was just days away from returning home to her family, her grieving husband said.
“You don’t go to Kuwait thinking something’s going to happen, and for her to be one of the first – it hurts,” said the 39-year-old’s widower, Joey Amor.
Sgt. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, was also killed in the attack and had just told his father last week that he had been recommended for a promotion from specialist to sergeant.
Capt. Khork’s family paid tribute to the 35-year-old Floridian in a statement and said he was drawn to serving the U.S. from a young age.
Tietjens, a 42-year-old married father from Bellevue, Nebraska,, was remembered by his martial arts group as someone who “gave his time, discipline, and leadership to others.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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