Trump Calls for Treason Charges Against Media Over Iran War ‘Fake News

President Donald Trump fired off another sharp broadside at the media over the weekend, insisting that some outlets deserve to face charges for treason because of how they’re covering the ongoing war with Iran.

In a lengthy post on Truth Social on Sunday, March 15, the 79-year-old president accused Iran of being masters at twisting public opinion and manipulating the press. He claimed they’ve ramped things up by using artificial intelligence to pump out fake stories and visuals that make their military look stronger than it really is.

Trump wrote that Iran is “militarily ineffective and weak,” but they’ve gotten really good at feeding misleading info to what he calls the “appreciative Fake News Media.” He pointed to AI as their latest tool in that effort, saying it’s helping them push disinformation while U.S. forces are supposedly “annihilating” them day by day.

He specifically called out phony images of “kamikaze boats” attacking ships at sea—boats he says don’t even exist—and dismissed reports of damage to American assets. For example, he rejected a Wall Street Journal story claiming five Air Force refueling planes were hit and damaged in a missile strike at Prince Sultan air base in Saudi Arabia. He also insisted that any footage showing the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier on fire is completely fabricated.

Trump went on to say the carrier wasn’t even targeted, let alone burning. “Not only was it not burning, it was not even shot at — Iran knows better than to do that!” he wrote. He argued that outlets spreading these claims are knowingly pushing lies and, in his view, should be held accountable for treason over disseminating false information during wartime.

He added that Iran’s only real “wins” are the ones they manufacture through AI and then get amplified by what he described as “corrupt media outlets.” Trump wrapped up by praising FCC Chairman Brendan Carr for reviewing the broadcast licenses of some of these “corrupt and highly unpatriotic” organizations, noting they get billions in free American airwaves only to spread lies—even in their entertainment shows.

This isn’t new territory for Trump—he’s been clashing with journalists for years. Just the day before, on March 14, he went after New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, calling her names and hinting at adding her to a lawsuit against the paper. He’s also taken shots at CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, The Washington Post’s Natalie Allison, and others in recent months.

AFP had already fact-checked some of the circulating footage about the Lincoln, confirming it was AI-generated and that both the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command denied any strike on the ship.

A White House spokesperson backed up the president’s stance, saying the media has been carrying water for Iran throughout Operation Epic Fury by repeating their propaganda. The war kicked off on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes aimed at toppling the regime and stopping its nuclear program.

The post stirred up plenty of debate online, with critics calling it another escalation in Trump’s long-running feud with the press, while supporters see it as him standing up against what they view as biased or harmful reporting during a major conflict.