Overview
- At a March 4 White House briefing, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins asked whether the administration believes media should avoid prominently covering the deaths of U.S. service members.
- Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration expects accurate reporting on the success of Operation Epic Fury and the damage inflicted on Iran.
- Leavitt echoed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s earlier criticism of coverage, after he said tragic incidents become front-page news because the press wants to make the president look bad.
- Collins pushed back that reporting on troop deaths is standard practice under every president and argued such coverage showcases the fallen service members’ sacrifice.
- Leavitt confirmed President Donald Trump will attend the dignified transfer for the six service members killed, with several reports noting the fatal incident occurred at a U.S. site in Kuwait.