President Donald Trump criticized The New York Times and CNN in May, accusing the news organizations of treason and sedition regarding their coverage of the Iran war [1].

The remarks signal a deepening conflict between the administration and major media outlets during an active military conflict. Such accusations of sedition against press organizations represent a significant escalation in the rhetoric surrounding wartime reporting and national security.

Trump made the comments during a sit-down interview with Fox News host Lara Trump [2]. He said the reporting from The New York Times was bad and argued that the U.S. media is unfair in its presentation of the conflict [1].

During the interview, Trump said that the coverage of the war amounts to treason and sedition against the United States [3]. He said that Democrats are complicit in this media environment [1].

The accusations were reported across multiple platforms throughout May 2026. Reports on the matter surfaced on May 1, May 15, and May 18 [3], [4], [5].

While Fox News reported the accusations as claims of sedition [3], CNN described the assertions as false accusations of treason [4]. The disagreement centers on whether the critical reporting of the war constitutes a legitimate journalistic exercise, or a betrayal of the country.

“Trump described the reporting from The New York Times as bad”

These accusations reflect a volatile relationship between the U.S. executive branch and the press during the Iran war. By labeling critical reporting as sedition, the administration frames journalistic scrutiny not as a democratic check, but as a threat to national security, potentially narrowing the space for independent wartime reporting.