1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

The President of the United States' demand for the firing of CNN reporter Natasha Bertrand for accurately reporting on the limited impact of recent airstrikes is a direct attack on the freedom of the press. Bertrand cited a Defense Intelligence Agency assessment showing the strikes delayed Iran’s nuclear program by only a few months, contradicting the administration’s claims. This reporting is not partisan or biased; it is grounded in official intelligence. This is not an isolated incident. In 2018, the Trump administration revoked CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s press credentials after he asked tough questions, only to have a federal judge order their return, citing First Amendment violations. More recently, the Associated Press was barred from Oval Office access for referring to the “Gulf of Mexico” instead of “Gulf of America”—another example of punishing factual reporting. I demand that the administration publicly retract its call for Bertrand’s firing and commit to respecting the independence of the press. Journalists are not government employees; they report to the public, not the President. The free press is a cornerstone of our democracy, and any effort to silence it is an attack on all Americans.