Trump spent Sunday calling for treason charges against reporters covering his Iran war, and under US law that charge carries the death penalty

President Trump spent his Sunday calling for treason charges against reporters covering his war with Iran. Under US law, treason carries either the death penalty or a minimum of five years in prison for anyone who aids or goes to war against the country.

Trump posted a nearly 400-word message on Truth Social, expressing his anger over media coverage of the ongoing conflict. He claimed Iran was “feeding” the “very appreciative Fake News Media” in the US and using AI to spread what he called “false information.” 

He also claimed Iran had circulated fake images of “phony ‘Kamikaze Boats’ shooting at various Ships at Sea,” saying the images looked “wonderful, powerful, and vicious” but that “these Boats don’t exist.” According to The Daily Beast, he also pushed back against a fake video of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier “burning uncontrollably in the Ocean,” which had already been fact-checked by an international news agency and confirmed to be AI-generated. 

Trump’s attacks on the press show his desire to control the narrative around the Iran war

Trump wrote, “The story was knowingly FAKE and, in a certain way, you can say that those Media Outlets that generated it should be brought up on Charges for TREASON for the dissemination of false information!” Meanwhile, Democrats filing a War Powers Resolution to stop future Iran-style actions reflects growing concern in Congress over unchecked presidential power.

Later, speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said he was not ready to declare the war over. “They’re decimated, but… I think that we’ve done damage to them right now. If we left right now, it would take them 10 years and more to rebuild. But I’m still not declaring it over,” he said. He blamed the media, adding, “The problem is that when you look at fake stories, by you people, written by and generated by AI, it’s incredible.”

Media analyst Brian Stelter noted that Trump is “fuming” about the war coverage. “Trump does not want this scrutiny. He would prefer a propagandistic, pliant press in the United States, but he’s not going to get that,” Stelter said. He added, “I have not seen any US news outlets that have fallen for those videos. To the contrary, real news outlets are debunking those lies, but Trump sounds confused by the chaotic information environment.”

Trump also praised FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who has been threatening to revoke broadcasting licenses of networks he believes are not covering the Iran war in the public interest. Carr said, “Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up. The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not.”

Trump’s political pressure extends beyond media, he has also been dangling his endorsement over the Texas Senate runoff to push a voting bill that currently lacks the votes to pass. Trump said he was “thrilled” by Carr’s threats, writing that media organizations “get Billions of Dollars of FREE American Airwaves, and use it to perpetuate LIES, both in News and almost all of their Shows.”