White House Blasts Anti-War Coverage As ‘Fake News’ Minutes After Top Official Resigns Over Iran
A senior White House official blasted negative coverage of the Iran war on March 17, just minutes after an official in President Donald Trump’s administration resigned over the conflict.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt spoke to X and shared a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) opinion piece co-authored by former Clinton advisor Mark Penn and former New York City Council Speaker Andrew Stein. The article, titled “On Iran, Is Only Bad News Worthy of Print?” “, asserts that media partisanship around US and Israeli actions in Iran has reached new heights. (RELATED: Joe Kent, Gabbard’s Top Aide, Resigns Over Iran, Prays Trump ‘Reflects’)
“Must read WSJ opinion piece on the overwhelmingly negative coverage of Operation Epic Fury in Iran, which continues to be a highly successful military campaign against a terrorist regime. We battle fake news every day at the White House, and it’s safe to say that America’s left-wing media is unfortunately supporting the failure of President Trump, and therefore the U.S. military,” Leavitt said at 9:49 a.m. Eastern.
Must read@WSJopinion piece on the overwhelmingly negative coverage of Operation Epic Fury in Iran, which continues to be a highly successful military campaign against a terrorist regime.
We fight Fake News daily at the White House, and it is safe to say that the American… https://t.co/PzsuhyFikb
– Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) March 17, 2026
The message of Leavitt arrived a few minutes later Joe Kentthen director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned in protest at 9:24 a.m. Eastern Time. Kent said he could not support the ongoing war in Iran and asserted that the country “poses no imminent threat” to the United States.
“After careful consideration, I have decided to resign as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective immediately. I cannot, in good conscience, support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran poses no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war under pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” Kent wrote in an article on X.
After careful consideration, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective immediately.
I cannot, in good conscience, support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this… pic.twitter.com/prtu86DpEr
– Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) March 17, 2026
The WSJ editorial also cited Trump’s Truth Social post on Friday criticizing media coverage of the war. “We are totally destroying the Iranian terrorist regime, militarily, economically and otherwise, and yet if you read the Failing New York Times, you would mistakenly think we are not winning,” he wrote.
Penn and Stein called Trump’s calls out to the media “predictable – and entirely justified.” They argued that reading Sunday’s New York Times, “it’s as if the editors took this as an order rather than a criticism.” (RELATED: Trump Reacts to Joe Kent Resigning Over Iran War)
Joe Kent, an 11-time combat veteran, resigned as director of the National Counterterrorism Center over the war in Iran, saying Iran posed no imminent threat and that the conflict was fueled by Israeli pressure.
Ben Shapiro, a staunch supporter of the war, blasted… pic.twitter.com/KSZ0ok5kuD
– Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) March 17, 2026
“Like the Times, much of the media seems determined to advance a narrative that Mr. Trump is wrong about everything and that the United States is cleaning its clock thanks to a powerful Iranian war machine that has successfully transitioned to new leadership,” Penn and Stein wrote.
The co-authors further argued that while journalists have a duty to scrutinize the government, some coverage has veered toward apparent bias, downplaying Iran’s setbacks and reflecting partisan opposition to Trump. They suggested that the tone of the reporting was more politically motivated than objective analysis.
