Hegseth Blasts CNN's Iran War Coverage, Calls for Ellison Takeover

War Secretary says 'the sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better' as Paramount Skydance seeks approval of $111 billion Warner Bros. Discovery deal.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 4:41pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

War Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized CNN's coverage of the war in Iran, saying 'the sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.' Hegseth's comments came as Paramount Skydance moves forward with its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns CNN. Some media watchers predict Paramount will shift CNN's political orientation under Ellison, who has vowed to maintain the network's 'editorial independence.'

Why it matters

Hegseth's criticism of CNN's reporting reflects ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and the network, which the president has long accused of 'dishonest' coverage. The potential shift in CNN's political leanings under new Paramount ownership also raises concerns among network staffers about the future of its editorial independence.

The details

Hegseth blasted a recent CNN article that claimed the Trump administration had overlooked the possibility of Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz, calling it 'more fake news.' He said 'no quarter, no mercy for our enemies' and that 'the sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.' Since Paramount won the bidding war for CNN's parent company, some have predicted the network will shift politically, similar to changes made at CBS News under Ellison-hired Bari Weiss. However, Ellison has vowed to maintain CNN's 'editorial independence' as the deal goes through regulatory review.

  • On Friday, Hegseth made the comments at a press briefing.

The players

Pete Hegseth

The War Secretary who criticized CNN's coverage of the war in Iran.

David Ellison

The Paramount executive who is expected to take over CNN if the $111 billion Warner Bros. Discovery deal is approved.

Larry Ellison

The billionaire founder of Oracle and father of David Ellison, who is close to former President Trump.

Bari Weiss

A former New York Times opinion journalist who was hired by David Ellison to lead changes at CBS News.

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei

Iran's new Supreme Leader who has vowed to keep the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in place.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“No quarter, no mercy for our enemies. Yet some in the press just can't stop.”

— Pete Hegseth, War Secretary

“The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.”

— Pete Hegseth, War Secretary

“Editorial independence will absolutely be maintained. It's maintained at CBS. It'll be maintained at CNN.”

— David Ellison

“And, really, who we want to talk to is the 70% of Americans and really around the world that identify as center-left, as center-right. And we want to be in the truth business. We want to be in the trust business. And that's not going to change.”

— David Ellison

What’s next

The $111 billion Paramount Skydance deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns CNN, is still pending regulatory approval.

The takeaway

Hegseth's criticism of CNN's Iran war coverage reflects the ongoing political tensions between the Trump administration and the network, which could intensify if Paramount's acquisition of CNN leads to a shift in the network's political orientation under new leadership.