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Hegseth scolds CNN's 'unserious' report on Iran conflict, suggests Paramount owner should overhaul network
By Joseph Wulfsohn
Published March 13, 2026
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth taunted CNN on Friday over its looming likely takeover by Paramount CEO David Ellison, saying he hoped it happened soon as he criticized its coverage of the U.S. war with Iran.
"More fake news from CNN," Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon. "'Reports that the Trump administration underestimated the Iran War’s impact on the Strait of Hormuz.' Patently ridiculous, of course. For decades, Iran has threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. This is always what they do, hold the strait hostage."
"CNN doesn’t think we thought of that," he added. "It’s a fundamentally unserious report. The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better."
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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth slammed CNN's "unserious" report about the Iran conflict, suggesting that the network's prospective new owner, David Ellison, should overhaul the newsroom. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
A spokesperson for CNN told Fox News Digital, "We stand by our reporting," but did not respond to the Ellison remark.
Hegseth's jab comes weeks after Paramount prevailed in its bidding war against Netflix to buy the entirety of CNN's parent company Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).
Ellison still has a long legal road ahead of him both domestically and abroad before he gets handed the keys to WBD, but his takeover would have a major impact on the media and entertainment industries.
Paramount CEO David Ellison is on the cusp of taking over CNN's parent company Warner Bros. Discovery with his $111 billion offer that got Netflix to end their bidding war. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
The potential Paramount-WBD merger has sparked many industry questions, including whether CNN would merge with CBS News, which is currently being reshaped by Ellison and his appointed editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.
CNN staffers worry that Ellison, son of billionaire and President Donald Trump ally Larry Ellison who is providing financial backing to Paramount's $111 billion offer for WBD, will implement a MAGA-friendly pivot in the newsroom.
In a recent interview, Ellison insisted CNN would maintain "editorial independence" but that the goal would be to appeal to the 70% in the center left and center right instead of the political fringes.
There's also concern by some that Weiss would become their new boss following the corporate merger.
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CNN staffers fear that CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss will become their new boss after a corporate merger with Paramount. (Michele Crowe/CBS News via Getty Images)
Weiss, who is often branded by her liberal critics as being conservative despite her outspoken left-of-center politics, is already leaving her mark on CBS News in the early months of her tenure as editor-in-chief, particularly tapping the network's morning show co-host Tony Dokoupil to anchor "CBS Evening News."
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Multiple CBS staffers have left the network citing a politicized editorial shift being implemented.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/hegseth-scolds-cnns-unserious-report-iran-conflict-suggests-paramount-should-overhaul-network