NEWYou can now hear to Fox News articles!
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth taunted NCS on Friday over its looming takeover by Paramount CEO David Ellison, saying he hoped it occurred quickly as he criticized its protection of the U.S. warfare with Iran.
“More fake news from NCS,” Hegseth advised reporters on the Pentagon. “‘Reports that the Trump administration underestimated the Iran War’s impact on the Strait of Hormuz.’ Patently ridiculous, of course. For decades, Iran has threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. This is always what they do, hold the strait hostage.”
“NCS doesn’t think we thought of that,” he added. “It’s a fundamentally unserious report. The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.”
NEW IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER ‘LIKELY DISFIGURED,’ HEGSETH SAYS
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth slammed NCS’s “unserious” report in regards to the Iran battle, suggesting that the network’s potential new owner David Ellison ought to overhaul the newsroom. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
A spokesperson for NCS advised Fox News Digital, “We stand by our reporting,” however didn’t reply to the Ellison comment.
Hegseth’s jab comes weeks after Paramount prevailed in its bidding war towards Netflix to purchase the whole lot of NCS’s guardian firm Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).
Ellison nonetheless has an extended authorized street forward of him each domestically and overseas earlier than he will get handed the keys to WBD, however his takeover would have a significant affect on the media and leisure industries.
Paramount CEO David Ellison is on the cusp of taking up NCS’s guardian firm Warner Bros. Discovery together with his $111 billion provide that acquired Netflix to finish their bidding warfare. (Charly Triballeau/AFP by way of Getty Images)
The potential Paramount-WBD merger has sparked many trade questions, together with whether or not NCS would merge with CBS News, which is presently being reshaped by Ellison and his appointed editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.
NCS staffers fear that Ellison, son of billionaire Trump ally Larry Ellison who’s offering monetary backing to Paramount’s $111 billion provide for WBD, will implement a MAGA-friendly pivot within the newsroom.
NCS’S ABBY PHILLIP MAKES ON-AIR CORRECTION, SAYS SHE TAKES ‘FULL RESPONSIBILITY’ FOR MAMDANI FLUB
In a latest interview, Ellison insisted NCS will keep “editorial independence” however that the objective will probably be to attraction to the 70% within the heart left and heart proper as a substitute of the political fringes.
There’s additionally concern by some that Weiss would turn out to be their new boss following the company merger.
NCS staffers worry that CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss will turn out to be their new boss after a company merger with Paramount. (Michele Crowe/CBS News by way of Getty Images)
Weiss, who is usually branded by her liberal critics as being conservative regardless of her outspoken left-of-center politics, is already leaving her mark on CBS News within the early months of her tenure as editor-in-chief, notably tapping the network’s morning present co-host Tony Dokoupil to anchor “CBS Evening News.”
Multiple CBS staffers have left the community citing a politicized editorial shift being applied.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP