Trump threatens to pressure CNN, NYT to reveal sources on Iran strike coverage

Trump says his administration could pressure CNN, NYT to give up sources on Iran strike coverage

Following reports detailing U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, President Donald Trump suggested on Fox News Sunday that journalists may face pressure to disclose their sources.

Fox News host Maria Bartiromo asked Trump about his recent social media post on Thursday that read, "The Democrats are the ones who leaked the information on the PERFECT FLIGHT to the Nuclear Sites in Iran. They should be prosecuted!"

"They should be prosecuted," Trump responded.

"You can find out," Trump said. "If they wanted, they could find out easily. You go up and tell the reporter, ‘National Security, who gave it?’ You have to do that. And I suspect we’ll be doing things like that."

He has recently criticized The New York Times and CNN for reporting what he called “fake news” about the military strikes, claiming they downplayed the effectiveness of the attacks on Iran’s nuclear program.

On Wednesday, CNN published a report claiming the "US military strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities last weekend did not destroy the core components of the country’s nuclear program and likely only set it back by months, according to an early US intelligence assessment that was described by seven people briefed on it."

On Tuesday, the New York Times published an article entitled, "Strike Set Back Iran's Nuclear Program by Only a Few Months, U.S. Report Says."

"A preliminary classified U.S. report says the American bombing of three nuclear sites in Iran set back the country’s nuclear program by only a few months, according to officials familiar with the findings," the Times reported.

"New York Times and CNN make up a phony story to get some hits," Trump said Wednesday, speaking during the NATO Summit in The Netherlands. "That's the only reason I cared about it. Because those pilots were so brave. I've never seen anything like it. They flew into the hornet's nest, and then they got hurt so badly by what the fake news wrote."