– The Washington Times
President Trump fumed Monday over the leak of information that revealed one U.S. military aviator was missing behind enemy lines in Iran, even as the military had recovered the plane’s pilot.
Mr. Trump said the leak nearly imperiled the operation to retrieve the second serviceman, who was rescued on Sunday. He said the administration could go to great lengths to root out the leaker.
“We are going to go to the media company that released it, and we are going to say, ‘National security, give it up or go to jail,’” Mr. Trump said.
Mr. Trump did not identify the media outlet.
National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. scolded the president over his remarks, calling them a “direct threat” to the First Amendment.
“No president should call for jailing journalists who refuse to betray their sources,” he said. “The ability to protect confidential sources is essential to news-gathering and to informing the public on matters of urgent national interest. Those protections are at risk when the president tries to bully news organizations to disclose confidential sources.”
The president talked about the leak during a press conference in which he boasted about the operation to retrieve both servicemen, who were shot down in their F-15 Strike Eagle on Friday.
Mr. Trump and top officials said the U.S. side worked hard to confuse the Iranians so the rescuers could swoop in and retrieve the military members.
“Iran’s military is embarrassed and humiliated, and they should be,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
