Hegseth attacks 'unpatriotic' media and compares reporters to Jewish biblical group

Iran warHegseth attacks 'unpatriotic' media and compares reporters to Jewish biblical groupThe defense secretary has frequently attacked the media over Iran war coverage.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleHegseth says U.S. is 'locked and loaded' if Iran talks fail00:47Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 16, 2026, 5:50 PM EDTBy Rich SchapiroDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth escalated his attacks on the media Thursday, comparing reporters covering the Iran war to the Pharisees, the biblical Jewish group that opposed Jesus.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The comments came at a Pentagon press briefing in which Hegseth first described the American media as “incredibly unpatriotic.”“I just can’t help but notice the endless stream of garbage, the relentlessly negative coverage you cannot resist peddling, despite the historic and important success of this effort and the success of our troops,” Hegseth said, referring to the Iran war.“Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what side some of you are actually on,” he added.Since the fighting began in late February, Hegseth, who is Christian, has frequently used religious rhetoric at news conferences and attacked the media over its coverage. But he went further Thursday by doing so with religious overtones.Hegseth said he was at church on Sunday when his pastor read a Bible passage that described Jesus healing a man in front of the Pharisees, “the so-called and self-appointed elites of their time.”“Our press are just like these Pharisees — not all of you, not all of you, but the legacy Trump-hating press. Your politically motivated animus for President Trump nearly completely blinds you from the brilliance of our American warriors,” he said.Hegseth added: “The Pharisees scrutinized every good act in order to find a violation, only looking for the negative. The hardened hearts of our press are ca...