Trump calls media ‘treasonous scum’ over reports of low Iran war munitions

On August 7th, President Donald Trump lashed out at media outlets for reporting on dangerously low stockpiles of military munitions in the US-Israel war with Iran. The conflict had been raging for seven months at the time. In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump claimed the military was producing munitions at "levels never seen before" and had "far more than we could ever use".

He directly called out news organizations for their reports, describing them as "treasonous scum" who "refuse to accurately report" on the war. This was not the first time Trump had made such accusations; similar comments were made in August after the Washington Post reported on the Secretary of Defense's frustration over supply shortages.

At that time, Trump described the reports as "treasonous statements" and vowed to "hunt down" anyone responsible, threatening "long term jail sentences". Media coverage has highlighted the impact of the Iran war on US military supplies, particularly those needed to protect US bases and regional allies from Iran's missiles and drones.

Experts, including the Center for Strategic and International Studies, have confirmed that the US possesses only a fraction of its normally available missile interceptors and other offensive weapons. Despite recent agreements with defense contractors aimed at speeding up production, replenishing these supplies could take at least two years.

In the interim, such shortages could weaken the US's deterrent capabilities against more technologically advanced enemies, according to former military officials. Furthermore, press freedom groups have criticized Trump for a series of actions against media outlets since his inauguration in 2025, including seeking to pull broadcast licenses and subpoenaing journalists to uncover confidential sources.