Donald Trump has long referred to the news media as “the enemy of the people,” but he doesn’t always accuse them of treason. He did just over the weekend.
As he got on Air Force One, the president was asked about why he was sending an amphibious expeditionary force to Iran. The president’s answer was less than friendly.
He shushed the woman, an ABC News reporter, asking the question and then called her “a very obnoxious person.”
WATCH 🟥😂
Reporter: Can you explain why you’re sending 5000 marines and sailors?
Trump: You’re a very obnoxious person.
— ZEEZ 🌚 (@Swaggzeez1) March 16, 2026
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In that Truth Social post, Trump accused the media of working with Iran to spread false, AI-generated images from the war. There have indeed been many such images circulating online, although in most cases, the mainstream media has set out to debunk such things, as opposed to using them as the basis for their reporting.
“Buildings and Ships that are shown to be on fire are not — It’s FAKE NEWS, generated by A.I. For instance, Iran, working in close coordination with the Fake News Media, shows our great USS Abraham Lincoln Aircraft Carrier, one of the largest and most prestigious Ships in the World, burning uncontrollably in the Ocean,” Trump said on Truth Social.
“Not only was it not burning, it was not even shot at — Iran knows better than to do that! The story was knowingly FAKE and, in a certain way, you can say that those Media Outlets that generated it should be brought up on Charges for TREASON for the dissemination of false information!”
It’s not clear which media outlets have published fake images produced by AI. But even if they did, the First Amendment would almost certainly shield them from prosecution for treason, or anything else for that matter.
Also, over the weekend, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr had threatened to revoke the broadcast licenses of outlets over their war reporting.
Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions – also known as the fake news – have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up.
The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they… https://t.co/7bBgnsbalw
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) March 14, 2026
