Washington Examiner columnist Joe Concha rebuffed CNN and MS Now’s coverage of U.S. strikes against Iran in Operation Epic Fury.
Concha recalled how CNN had issued “multiple” corrections and apologies for its coverage on various events, including the bombing attempt outside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s mansion. He added that MS Now’s Ben Rhodes had advised former President Barack Obama to give millions to Iran’s regime “in order for them to fuel their nuclear ambitions.”
“But you know what, [host Sean Hannity]? After 10 years of us talking about this stuff, I think we can safely come to one cold and incontrovertible fact: that if it’s good for Trump and therefore good for the country, legacy media will reflexively be against it,” Concha said on Fox News’s Hannity.
“I mean, let’s quote Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of War. He told reporters this: ‘You cheer against Trump so hard, it’s in your DNA and in your blood. You take half-truths, spun information, leaked information, to cause doubt and manipulate the public mind,” Concha said.
Concha argued that the disdain for President Donald Trump is so high that he could hypothetically ban pineapple on pizza, which “95% of people” would support. However, he argued Democrats would come out in support of pineapple on pizza, and “their allies in the press” would echo them.
“So even if it means being sympathetic and even propping up the Iranian regime, which by all counts is profoundly evil and has killed more than a thousand U.S. military members, it’s the reflex for the press to greatly exaggerate the negative while applying the bias omission to the positive,” Concha said.
JOE CONCHA: AFTER HORRIFIC WEEK, NEW LEADERSHIP AT CNN CAN’T COME SOON ENOUGH
Concha eviscerated CNN’s coverage of the New York City bombing attempt last week, saying it is “pathetic” how the network initially described the suspects as “two Pennsylvania teenagers” whose lives would “drastically change” after throwing their homemade bombs. Network anchor Abby Phillip also apologized for saying the bombing attempt targeted Mamdani when the bomb was thrown into a crowd of protesters.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr called for broadcasters to “correct course” over their coverage of the Iran conflict last week, or lose their licenses if they don’t. The announcement has raised concerns among Republican lawmakers, who fear it could backfire ahead of the 2026 elections.