In a disgusting attack on CNN's Kaitlan Collins, Trump White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt melted down when she was asked to verify SecDef Pete Hegseth's desire that the media ignore the deaths of US Service members in Iran because it makes Trump look bad.
On Wednesday morning, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth gave a press briefing on the state of the war with Iran and shocked anyone watching when instead of offering condolences or a empathic portrait of what happened for the six Americans killed in a Iranian drone attack, he lambasted the press for only wanting "to make the president look bad."
Tom Nichols rightly said, "Pete Hegseth Treats Fallen American Soldiers as a PR Problem."
During Wednesday's White House press briefing, CNN's Collins asked for clarification on how the White House Press Bot wants the media to cover our fallen soldiers.
"Given what Secretary Hegseth said this morning, is it the position of this administration that the press should not prominently cover the deaths of U.S. service members?" Collins asked.
"No, it's the position of this administration that the press in this room and the press across the country should accurately report on the success of Operation Epic Fury and the damage it is doing to the rogue Iranian regime that has threatened the lives of every single American in this room," Leavitt replied.
In other words, only right-wing propaganda should be reported by all media about the war with Iran, and our US soldiers are not worthy to be discussed because they make Trump look weak and pathetic.
Leavitt followed that up with more jingoistic garbage to gaslight people aghast at Hegseth's outrageous attack.
"If the Iranian regime had their choice, they would kill every single person in this room," she said. "And so, we can all be very grateful that we have an administration and that we have men and women in our armed forces who are willing to sacrifice their own lives for the rest of us in this room and for every American across the country and for every troop that is based in the Middle East."
WTF does that have to do with Hegseth?
Our troops are willing to sacrifice their lives, don't tell anyone about it. This is a war of choice, and our men and women are losing their lives for a demented man in the Oval Office.
Gotcha, Karoline.
Collins refused to be quieted, which set off Leavitt to lie and treat the deaths of these soldiers as an inconvenience for Trump.
COLLINS: The Secretary Hegseth was complaining that it was front-page news about these six service members who were killed.
LEAVITT: That's not what the Secretary said, Kaitlin, and that's not what the Secretary meant, and you know it. You know you're being disingenuous. We've never had a Secretary of Defense. Who cares more?
(Collins then reads Hegseth's words back to her)
COLLINS: You don't get through where tragic things happen. It's front-page news. I get it. The press only wants to make the President look bad.
COLLINS: As you know, we cover the deaths of U.S. service members under every president.
LEAVITT: The press does only want to make the President look bad. That's a fact, especially you. Listen to me. Especially you and especially CNN.
Leavitt does the CNN attack-dance, which is disingenuous and flat-out obfuscates the question Collins asked.
The AI Press Bot ranted on claiming how much they care about the troops!
LEAVITT: And I just told you that the President of the United States will be attending their dignified transfer, so please- We're talking about their dignified transfer.
COLLINS: That's not making the President look bad. That's showcasing that.
LEAVITT: We expect you to cover that as you should.
We expect you to cover that as you should, Kaitlin, but you and your network know that you take every single thing this administration says and tries to use it to make the President look bad.
That is an objective fact.
COLLINS: I don't think covering troop deaths is trying to make the President look bad.
LEAVITT: If you're trying to argue right now that CNN's overwhelming coverage is not negative of President Donald Trump, I think the American people would tend to agree, and your ratings would tend to disagree with that as well.
Reporting on the death of our soldiers is bad PR for Demented Donald.
We get it.
The idea that this is an actual conversation coming from the White House after starting another war in the Middle East in the dead of night is sickening and a dishonor to the men and women serving in the military.
