White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt strongly criticized ABC News after the outlet published a report claiming the FBI warned California law enforcement agencies about a possible Iranian drone attack on the West Coast. The original article stated that Iran could retaliate for recent U.S. military actions by launching offensive drones toward California.
Leavitt quickly rejected the report and demanded that ABC retract the story. In a social media post, she accused the network of spreading fear among Americans by presenting unverified intelligence as a credible threat. According to Leavitt, the report was based on a single email sent to local authorities that specifically described the information as unverified. She argued that ABC failed to mention this important detail in its initial coverage.
FBI Assistant Director for Public Affairs Ben Williamson also weighed in on the controversy. He shared screenshots comparing ABC’s reporting with the actual FBI alert, pointing out that the word “unverified” had been omitted from the network’s presentation of the warning.
After facing criticism, ABC updated its article and added an editor’s note acknowledging that the FBI alert did indeed classify the intelligence as unverified. The outlet said the story had been revised to include the full statement from the agency.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump commented on the matter, saying authorities were investigating the situation. Trump later announced that the United States military had carried out major airstrikes on Iranian military facilities located on Kharg Island. He described the operation as one of the most powerful bombing campaigns in Middle Eastern history and warned Iran against interfering with shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
