Fetterman Rips Media for Defending Iran Over U.S. to Spite Trump

Sen. John Fetterman sharply criticized major U.S. media outlets Thursday, accusing them of effectively acting as defenders of Iran while downplaying the threat posed by the regime in Tehran.

Appearing on Fox News with host Jesse Watters, the Pennsylvania Democrat suggested that some outlets have allowed their hostility toward President Donald J. Trump to cloud their judgment when covering Iran.

Watters pressed the senator with a pointed question: “Senator, do some members of your party think Trump is more dangerous than the Iranians?”

The remark reflects growing tensions in Washington as critics of the Trump administration have attacked the president’s tough stance against the Iranian regime—despite decades of bipartisan agreement that Tehran’s nuclear ambitions pose a major global threat.

Fetterman declined to speculate about the motivations of fellow Democrats but took aim directly at the American press.

“I can’t speak for my other Democrats, but the American media has, essentially, become — carrying water for Iran,” Fetterman said. “And they’re describing the kinds of circumstances, then they forget the way Iran has behaved.

“And why can’t we just call what Iran has been — and what it continues to do, those things? America is the force of good in the world, and holding Iran accountable, what they’ve done, is important,” he said.

Clash With CNN Host

Fetterman has previously defended U.S. military actions against Iran during a tense on-air exchange with Kaitlan Collins on CNN’s The Source. At one point during the interview, the senator bluntly pushed back against interruptions from the host.

“You don’t have to cut me off here,” he told Collins during the exchange.

The confrontation came as political fallout continued from a Feb. 28 Tomahawk missile strike that struck the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school building in Minab, southeastern Iran. Iranian reports claim at least 175 people were killed in the blast, many of them children.

A preliminary U.S. military review later concluded the strike stemmed from faulty targeting intelligence tied to outdated information provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency. According to reports, the intended target was an Iranian military installation located nearby.

The incident quickly sparked calls from lawmakers for a formal investigation. Nearly every Senate Democrat signed a letter urging Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to launch a “swift investigation” into the strike.

Fetterman stood alone in refusing to sign.

Breaking With His Party

During the CNN interview, Collins challenged the senator directly over his decision.

“Every Senate Democrat except you signed a letter today… asking for an investigation into that strike on a girls’ school in Iran,” she said. “Why did you not sign that letter, senator?”

Fetterman said the strike was unquestionably tragic and that he supports accountability if mistakes were made—but rejected the broader criticism from Democrats attacking the war effort.

“Well, because we all agree that it is a tragedy having that school hit, absolutely,” Fetterman said. “And we all agreed now for an investigation. What I don’t agree with the rest of my colleagues… is that it’s a war of choice or it’s dumb… I think it’s a good thing and I support that.”

He noted that the Pentagon had already acknowledged potential responsibility and suggested an apology would be warranted if the investigation confirms the findings.

But the senator also argued that media coverage has been disproportionate—focusing heavily on the U.S. strike while ignoring the brutality of the Iranian regime.

“And I would remind everybody listening right now, the United States never, ever targets civilians,” he said. “Iran does… and they massacred 35,000 of them just a couple of weeks ago.”

As Collins attempted to interject, Fetterman continued.

“The left media is much more angry… about this hospital. And it is a tragedy. But they didn’t seem to be as concerned about the Iranians massacring tens of thousands of their young people just a couple of weeks ago.”

Collins pushed back, arguing that CNN had widely covered protests and unrest inside Iran.

“Well, I don’t watch, so I don’t know,” Fetterman replied, adding that his criticism was aimed broadly at what he sees as a pattern among “other left media,” including outlets like The New York Times, which he accused of portraying the war effort as a failure.