Trump Calls New York Times Coverage of the Iran War 'Treasonous' and Vows to Fold It Into His Lawsuit

In a late-night Truth Social post on June 21, 2026, President Trump wrote that 'The way the Corrupt and Failing New York Times is covering stories on a very battered and beat up Iran, through FAKE & MADE UP FACTS is, in my opinion, TREASONOUS.' He added: 'I will be adding all of their false and ridiculous reporting to my multi Billion Dollar lawsuit against them. They are Criminals!' The post followed a Times analysis headlined 'What Changed After Almost 4 Months of War? Analysts Say Not Much.' In an earlier post that night he listed what he said the war had accomplished, asserting Iran's military, navy and air force were 'GONE.' Sen. Lindsey Graham said Trump's comments were 'spot on.'

Treason is defined in Article III of the Constitution and carries the death penalty. Applying the label to a newspaper's war coverage, alongside a pending multibillion-dollar suit against the same outlet, links a legal threat to the substance of critical reporting.

No legal action was taken on the basis of the posts.