Fox News and President Donald Trump have had a turbulent relationship since he entered politics in 2016. Recent disagreements stemming from Trump’s public conduct have reportedly increased tensions.
Fox News briefly stopped its usual broadcast to show a live segment from the White House, where reporters were asking Donald Trump about the growing conflict with Iran after he launched Operation Epic Fury.
The interruption occurred as Trump addressed reporters before leaving Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. A journalist asked him to clarify reports that members of the Iraqi Parliament had chanted “Death to America, death to Israel.”
“What is your response?” the journalist asked, to which Trump gave a puzzled reaction as he looked towards the camera and asked, “What did he say?”
According to The Irish Star, the reporter asked the question again, but President Trump turned to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who passed the question on to him.
Trump responded, “That’s not a nice question,” and suddenly left without providing a direct answer.
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Earlier in the briefing, Trump praised U.S. military operations connected to the conflict with Iran. “We’re doing something nobody thought was possible,” he said. “Our military is the best in the world, and they’re hitting them very hard.”
The 79-year-old added that the U.S. is not finished yet, and claimed Iran had “lost their air force” and that “their leaders are gone,” suggesting the U.S. could escalate the situation further if necessary.
“Their leaders are gone,” Trump said. “We could do a lot worse.”
These remarks from Trump come after U.S.-Israeli forces launched a large-scale military offensive on Iran on Feb. 28. During Operation Epic Fury, Iran’s top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, some of his family, and officials were killed.
As of March 1, 2026, Iran launched retaliatory missiles and drone strikes against U.S.-Israel attacks. These strikes have damaged several places in Gulf countries like Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
According to Al Jazeera, Iran’s Assembly of Experts appointed Khamenei’s 56-year-old son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the new leader on Sunday. His appointment came after the Islamic Republic faced the biggest crisis in 47 years.
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Meanwhile, ambassadors from several Gulf nations told reporters that their countries have faced roughly 950 Iranian missiles and 2,500 drones over the past 12 days, though many were intercepted.
Furthermore, as of March 12, the US-Israel strikes on Iran have entered their 13th day. Some Republican lawmakers have also said they are worried that the U.S. could end up in another long war in Iran, like what happened in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Some Republican lawmakers have also said they are worried that the US could end up in another long war in Iran, like what happened in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This is not the first time Donald Trump has brushed off a reporter; there have been several times during his political career, especially during his second term.
According to The Guardian, Donald Trump also lashed out at a female reporter who asked him about a suspect connected to an attack on two members of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., responding by asking the journalist: “Are you stupid? Are you a stupid person?”
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He also dismissed Catherine Lucey, a correspondent for Bloomberg, telling her to be quiet and cutting her off during a press exchange after she questioned the president about the controversial Epstein files connected to late s-x offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In another similar incident, Trump abruptly criticized Mary Bruce of ABC News after she asked Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince, about the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post journalist who was murdered in 2018. Trump publicly called her a “terrible reporter” and “terrible person.”
Critics warn that such comments from the president can expose reporters to alleged harassment and contribute to a hostile environment toward the press.
