Cyprus News Agency

U.S. President Donald Trump criticized media reports, saying that fake news outlets spread false and unfounded rumors.

Expressing support for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump said: "I am extremely pleased with the job Pete Hegseth is doing. Everything has been outstanding, including our operation against Venezuela; the result was achieved in less than a day, allowing us to bring one of the world's worst criminals, Nicolas Maduro, to justice."

Commenting on Iran, Trump said: "Likewise, things are going very well in Iran, where the country's ability to obtain a nuclear weapon has been completely destroyed!"

Speaking about Hegseth's standing within the military and his achievements, Trump said: "Pete is highly respected in the military and has made tremendous improvements, including getting rid of DEI and raising military recruitment to historic levels. This rumor was started by one of the worst media outlets in the business, The Washington Post, even though we told them their entire story was completely false."

Trump concluded his remarks by saying: "In fact, I truly believe that their fake 'news' amounts to treason!"