Hegseth: I Can't Wait for CNN's New Owner

During a briefing on the Iran war Friday, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth ventured into unexpected territory: ownership of CNN. "The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better," Hegseth said in complaining about the network's war coverage, reports the Hill. Ellison's Paramount Skydance is poised to acquire CNN parent company Warner Bros. Discovery. Hegseth's remark is likely to amplify anxiety inside CNN and across the industry that Ellison—who is friends with President Trump—could steer the channel's journalism in a direction more favorable to the White House, per the New York Times.

Ellison has publicly pledged to protect CNN's newsroom from political interference. "Editorial independence will absolutely be maintained," he said in a CNBC interview last week. "It is maintained at CBS; it will be maintained at CNN." Ellison bought CBS last year and installed Bari Weiss, a high-profile critic of legacy media, as editor in chief of CBS News. Weiss has faced internal and external pushback, particularly after delaying a 60 Minutes piece critical of the Trump administration.

"Fake news from CNN reports that the Trump administration underestimated the Iran war's impact on the Strait of Hormuz," Hegseth said Friday. "Patently ridiculous, of course. For decades, Iran has threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. This is always what they do. ... CNN doesn't think we thought of that. It's a fundamentally unserious report." The former Fox News host also complained about negative TV news banners. "What should the banner read instead? How about Iran increasingly desperate? Because they are."