Trump threatens jail for reporter who revealed that only 1 airman had been rescued after jet crash
· The Straits Times- Trump threatened to jail the journalist who revealed the rescue of an airman in Iran, demanding they reveal their source due to "national security."
- Several media outlets, including The New York Times, CBS News, and Axios, reported on the rescue, but it is unclear which reporter Trump targeted.
- Trump criticised negative media coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran, with FCC chair suggesting consequences for broadcasting "fake news."
WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said on April 6 he would demand that the journalist who first reported that an airman in Iran had been rescued reveal how they got that information, and threatened to jail them if they refused.
Mr Trump's remarks at a White House press conference represented a significant escalation of the administration’s attacks on the press.
The president has privately complained to aides in recent weeks that media coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran has been too negative, and Mr Trump and his allies have publicly criticised some news organisations’ coverage.
After a US fighter jet was shot down over Iran on April 3, several media outlets reported that only one of the two airmen onboard had been successfully recovered by US rescue forces.
Mr Trump said the disclosure had threatened the security of the ongoing operation to rescue the second airman, though that airman was eventually successfully recovered.
“We didn’t talk about the first one for an hour. Then somebody leaked something, which, we will hopefully find that leaker. We’re looking very hard to find that leaker,” Mr Trump said.
“We’re going to go to the media company that released it, and we’re going to say, ‘National security, give it up or go to jail’.”
It was not clear which media outlet or reporter Mr Trump was referring to. Several media outlets appeared to report on the rescue of the first airman within a short period of time, including The New York Times, CBS News and Axios.
The White House did not immediately respond when asked which reporter Mr Trump was threatening.
Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr posted on X in March that broadcasters who air “fake news” now have a chance to “correct course before their licence renewals come up.”
His remarks were accompanied by a screenshot of a Truth Social post from Mr Trump earlier in the day claiming that “Lowlife ‘Papers’ and Media actually want us to lose the War.” REUTERS