U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, U.S., March 18, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper
During an early Thursday afternoon, March 19 press conference in the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump doubled down on his claim that the United States' war against Iran is going extremely well. Trump argued that the Iranian military is so diminished at this point that it is incapable of significant attacks against the U.S. military. But only moments earlier, CNN reported that Iran had attacked a U.S. fighter jet.
Trump, addressing reporters, said of Iran, "Their navy is gone. Their air force is gone. Their anti-aircraft equipment is gone. Their leaders are gone. We're flying wherever we want; we have nobody even shooting at us. ... And, as you know, their leadership is gone."
But on X, CNN's Haley Britzky reported, "New: A US F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at US air base in the Middle East after it was struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire, according to two sources familiar with the matter tell me and [CNN’s Oren Liebermann]. CENTCOM spox Capt. Tim Hawkins said an F-35 made the landing safely after flying a combat mission over Iran and that the pilot is in stable condition."
Reposting a report from his colleagues on the Iranian attack on the U.S. fighter jet, CNN's Daniel Dale — known for his aggressive fact-checking of Trump — posted, "'We're flying wherever we want — we have nobody even shooting at us,' President Trump says minutes after this report."