Donald Trump has once again berated a reporter over questions about the Iran war. During a recent interview, the president lashed out at a journalist from The New York Times, calling him “treasonous” and a “fake guy.”
Donald Trump slams reporter on AF1 over Iran war question
During a press exchange aboard Air Force One on Friday, May 15, Donald Trump clashed with The New York Times’ chief White House correspondent, David Sanger, after he asked a question about the ongoing Iran war.
“I had a total military victory, but the fake news, guys like you, write incorrectly,” the president said. “We knocked out their entire navy, we knocked out their entire air force, we knocked out all of their anti-aircraft weaponry, we knocked out all of their radar, we knocked out all of their leaders. We’ve had a total victory, except by people like you that don’t write the truth.”
The 79-year-old added, “I actually think it’s sort of treasonous what you write. You should be ashamed of yourself. I actually think it’s treason.”
The White House has not made any additional statement regarding Trump’s comment. However, The New York Times’ spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander has given a statement, addressing the incident.
“Reporting isn’t treason,” Stadtlander said. “It’s foundational to a free press and the work that America’s founders wrote the First Amendment to protect,” he continued.
Stadtlander added, “That includes making clear when the claims of government officials and the reality of their actions don’t line up.” He concluded, saying, “Our reporters, in this case, have been working carefully to provide the public with the fullest possible understanding of the reality of the military action in Iran. We will continue this important, constitutionally protected work.”
Trump had lashed out at reporters multiple times in the past. In November 2025, he told Bloomberg’s Catherine Lucey, “quiet, piggy,” after she asked him a question about his association with Jeffrey Epstein. The POTUS also called a female New York Times reporter “ugly, inside and out” on social media. At a later press briefing at the White House, he called ABC News’ Mary Bruce, “a terrible person and a terrible reporter.”
Originally reported by Namrata Ghosh on Mandatory.
