‘Incredibly Striking!’ CNN’s Abby Phillip Torches Trump War Chief for Using American Deaths to ‘Blast the Media’

CNN anchor Abby Phillip torched Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth over “incredibly striking” remarks that the news media made tragic deaths in the Iran war “front page news” to make President Donald Trump “look bad.”

Hegseth made the remarks during a joint press conference for the Pentagon press corps on Wednesday morning, which also included a lengthy and hyperbolic ode to the “death and destruction” being wrought by U.S. air power.

On Wednesday’s edition of CNN NewsNight, Phillip contrasted Hegseth’s rhetoric with the more sober language of Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine:

PHILLIP (on camera): Good evening. I’m Abby Phillip in New York. The war is expanding and so is the Trump administration’s rhetoric. Tonight, as the U.S. escalates its fight against Iran, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is setting the tone. He held a briefing today to give an update on the conflict. But that quickly spiraled into tough talking, stick swinging, bombastic messages that seemed catered to his boss. And it was apparent from the start. Here is Hegseth’s opening remarks and compare that to that of his top military officer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HEGSETH: I stand before you today with one unmistakable message about Operation Epic Fury. America is winning decisively, devastatingly, and without mercy.

GEN. DAN CAINE, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: I’m here today to provide the American people and those of you in this room an update on Operation Epic Fury. First, it’s with profound sadness and gratitude that I share the names of four of our six fallen heroes, all from the 103rd Sustainment Command.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIP: The contrast is incredibly striking. While his general sought to memorialize the fallen soldiers, Hegseth saw the tragedy as an opportunity to blast the media.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HEGSETH: This is what the fake news misses. We’ve taken control of Iran’s airspace and waterways without boots on the ground. We control their fate. But when a few drones get through, or tragic things happen, it’s front page news. I get it. The press only wants to make the president look bad, but try for once to report the reality.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIP: The Pentagon chief’s rough rhetoric didn’t stop there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HEGSETH: They are toast and they know it.

And we have only just begun to hunt, dismantle, demoralize, destroy and defeat their capabilities.

We will fly all day, all night, day and night, finding, fixing, and finishing the missiles every minute of every day until we decide it’s over.

Death and destruction from the sky all day long.

We are punching them while they’re down.

We are accelerating, not decelerating.

American strength grows fiercer, smarter and utterly dominant. They are terrorists.

We will find them and we will kill them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIP: Speak softly and carry a big stick no longer.

Watch above via CNN NewsNight.

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