Trending Now - Trump Administration Criticizes CNN for Broadcasting Iran's Messages
WHO:
Steven Cheung, White House communications director
Erin Burnett, CNN anchor
Seyed Hossein Mousavian, former Iranian nuclear negotiator
Jane Ferguson, veteran international correspondent
Douglas Brinkley, historian at Rice University
President Trump
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, Iranian supreme leader
Clemson University
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
CNN, Fox News, Meta, Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter)
WHAT:
The Trump administration denounced CNN for airing a portion of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei's public statement on March 12th, 2026, marking the second time in three days the network was criticized.
The White House stated, “fake news CNN just aired four straight minutes of uninterrupted Iranian state TV, run by the same psychotic and murderous regime that prided itself on brutally slaughtering Americans for 47 years.”
Cheung criticized CNN for "regurgitating quotes and unverified information from Iranian terrorists," calling it a "Total disgrace."
CNN noted that it, along with Sky News and Al Jazeera, aired portions of Khamenei's statement live, emphasizing the news value of the remarks.
Clemson University report identified at least 62 social media accounts linked to the IRGC promoting anti-Israel and anti-U.S. content.
The accounts were found on X, Bluesky, and Instagram, with some created as far back as December 2023.
The report stated that the accounts began pushing pro-Tehran messages after February 28th, 2026, following military strikes by Israel and the U.S. against Iran.
Clemson University located 47 accounts on X, 9 on Instagram, and 5 on Bluesky associated with the IRGC.
The X accounts created 59,403 original posts that were reposted thousands of times, potentially reaching millions.
The Trump administration denounced CNN for airing a portion of Khamenei's public statement, calling it "fake news."
The White House criticized CNN for airing four minutes of uninterrupted Iranian state TV.
WHERE:
Social media platforms: X, Bluesky, Instagram
United States
Iran
WHEN:
The Trump administration's denouncement of CNN occurred on March 12th, 2026.
Khamenei's first public statement since succeeding his father was made on March 11th, 2026.
Report released on March 11th, 2026
Military strikes by Israel and the U.S. occurred on February 28th, 2026.
The Trump administration's denouncement of CNN occurred on March 12th, 2026.
WHY:
The Trump administration's criticism reflects concerns over media portrayal of adversarial regimes during wartime.
The Iranian regime aims to exploit regional fault lines and advance its interests through disinformation.
The Trump administration criticized CNN for airing content from a regime it views as an enemy.
HOW:
CNN aired a news anchor reading Khamenei's remarks in Farsi, with an English translation, but did not air them in full.
The IRGC used social media accounts to systematically amplify politically divisive content and disinformation.
CNN aired portions of Khamenei's statement to provide audiences with insight into the conflict's direction.
(UPDATED March 13, 2026 09:08 UTC)
The Trump administration has criticized CNN for airing a segment of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei's public statement on March 12, marking the second time in three days the network faced backlash. White House communications director Steven Cheung condemned CNN for what he called "regurgitating quotes and unverified information from Iranian terrorists," while CNN defended its decision by highlighting the news value of Khamenei's remarks, which were also aired by other networks. Khamenei's statement, his first since taking over from his father, was made public on March 11.
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(UPDATED March 13, 2026 03:42 UTC)
A report from Clemson University, released last Monday, identified at least 62 social media accounts linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps promoting anti-Israel and anti-U.S. content, with many of these accounts found on platforms like X, Bluesky, and Instagram. Following military strikes by Israel and the U.S. against Iran on February 28, these accounts began pushing pro-Tehran messages, generating over 59,000 original posts that reached millions. In response, the Trump administration criticized CNN for airing a segment of Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei's statement, labeling it "fake news" and condemning the network for providing a platform to what they consider an enemy regime.