In another thing about the Iran war that makes it feel like the Iraq war, the presidential administration is arguing with the media over the depictions of dead soldiers.
After six U.S. soldiers lost their lives in the first few days of the military operation, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday had an angry exchange with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.
During the White House briefing on Wednesday, per Mediaite, after Leavitt said that the president will attend the dignified transfer of the soldiers’ remains, Collins asked a question of whether it is “the position of this administration that the press should not prominently cover the deaths of US service members.” This came after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had stated that covering the deaths of soldiers was meant to “make the president look bad.”
BREAKING: CNN’s Kaitlin Collins brings the receipts and calls out Karolin Leavitt.
Drop a 💙for @kaitlancollins for having the courage to point out the lies. pic.twitter.com/TdE0nPsZPT
— 💙Brittney💙 (@AZ_Brittney) March 4, 2026
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“No, it’s the position of this administration that the press in this room and the press across the country should accurately report on the success of Operation Epic Fury and the damage it is doing to the rogue,” Leavitt said in response. “The Iranian regime that has threatened the lives of every single American in this room. If the Iranian regime had their choice, they would kill every single person in this room. And so we can all be very grateful that we have an administration and that we have men and women in our armed forces who are willing to sacrifice their own lives for the rest of us in this room and for every American across the country and for every troop that is based in the Middle East.”
Collins replied that Hegseth had complained that it was “front page news” that the six soldiers had died, which it would normally be in any U.S. war.
“That’s not what the Secretary said, Kaitlan, and that’s not what the Secretary meant, and you know it! You know you are being disingenuous! There is not– we’ve never had a Secretary of Defense who cares more,” Leavitt said from the podium.
“As you know, we cover the deaths of U.S. service members under every president,” Collins replied.
“The press does only want to make the president look bad. That’s a fact. Listen to me, especially you and especially CNN. And the Secretary of Defense cares deeply about our warfighters and our men and women in uniform,” Leavitt said. “He travels all across this country to meet with them, to connect with them, and your network has hardly ever probably reported on that.”
Photo courtesy of the Political Tribune media library.
