Trump Threatens Defamation Lawsuit Over CNN and NYT Reports of "Limited Destruction" of Iranian Nuclear Facilities

Sent Legal Letters to CNN and NYT Demanding Article Retraction
Media Outlets Respond: "We Reported the Truth" ... Refuse to Retract

U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a defamation lawsuit against media outlets that reported Iranian nuclear facilities were only partially destroyed despite a large-scale U.S. military attack.

Reuters Yonhap News

According to CNN on June 26 (local time), President Trump, through his personal attorney, sent a legal letter to CNN and The New York Times (NYT) demanding the retraction of articles that addressed the extent of damage to Iran's nuclear capabilities.

In the letter, President Trump claimed that the articles were false and defamatory.

Earlier, CNN and NYT, citing a report from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) two days prior, reported that despite repeated attacks by U.S. and Israeli forces, key elements of Iran's nuclear program, such as enriched uranium, had not been completely destroyed.

President Trump has consistently claimed that Iran's nuclear facilities were completely destroyed. He escalated his criticism by targeting the article's authors, saying they "should be chased out like dogs."

CNN countered by stating that its report accurately described investigative findings that serve the public interest. CNN rejected President Trump's demand for a retraction and said it had sent a reply.

NYT also disclosed part of its response to President Trump, stating, "There is no need for a retraction. There will be no apology. We have done our best to tell the truth and will continue to do so."

David E. McCraw, the chief legal counsel for the NYT newsroom, emphasized, "It is irresponsible for a news organization to withhold such information and deny the public the right to hear it. It is even more irresponsible for the president to threaten a defamation lawsuit in an attempt to silence publication. The American people have a right to know whether the attack on Iran, funded by taxpayers and with enormous consequences for all citizens, was successful."