During Friday morning’s Pentagon press conference, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lashed out at CNN, suggesting its potential new owner, Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, might change the tone of its coverage.
Hegseth was upset with the network, apparently over a report, which he called “fundamentally unserious,” that the Trump administration had underestimated Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz. This has affected oil deliveries to other parts of the world, resulting in a spike in oil prices in the last few weeks.
Hegseth called out the press’s editorial decisions regarding headlines and lower-third wording in relation to the Middle East conflict. He suggested his own headline, while also calling out CNN, saying, “More fake news from CNN. The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.”
Hegseth: “Some in the press can’t stop. Allow me to make suggestions. People look at the TV and they see banners, ‘Mideast War Intensifies.’ What should it read instead? How about, ‘Iran increasingly desperate.’ More fake news from CNN. The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better”
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) March 13, 2026 at 8:15 AM
CNN responded through a spokesperson, who told TVNewser that the network stood by its reporting.
Hegseth’s remarks come as fear and anxiety envelop all those concerned about CNN’s editorial independence, both internally and externally, as it becomes part of the Paramount Skydance family. Over the decades, the network has garnered a reputation for breaking news and for its middle-of-the-road approach.
The Paramount Skydance CEO has repeatedly tried to assuage those concerns. Earlier this week, during a meeting with Warner Bros. Discovery executives on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, Ellison reiterated that the media company’s news divisions will continue to have editorial independence.
What CNN will look like under Paramount Skydance’s ownership will remain a news story for the foreseeable future, given Ellison’s close relationship with President Donald Trump, as well as the controversies and changes CBS News has endured since Skydance Media took control of the news network.
