Donald Trump Jr slams ‘fake news’ CNN over claims Iran wants to deal directly with JD Vance

WASHINGTON, DC: Donald Trump Jr on Tuesday, March 24, slammed CNN, accusing the network of publishing "BS lies" and participating in a coordinated foreign propaganda operation.

The controversy follows a report claiming that Iranian representatives have expressed a preference for negotiating with Vice President JD Vance over other key members of the Trump administration’s diplomatic team.

Trump Jr calls CNN report foreign propaganda

Don Jr shared a post from podcaster Vince Coglianese, who posted a screenshot of the CNN report. 

Coglianese wrote that the story "smells like a gigantic, stinking pile of foreign propaganda." 

Trump Jr agreed and criticized the news media's report. "Leave it to Fake News CNN to publish BS lies on behalf of an obviously coordinated foreign op," Trump Jr wrote on social media platform X. "Do they really think we're this stupid!???"

The backlash centers on the CNN report by Kylie Atwood, which alleged that "Iranian representatives have let the Trump administration know it does not want to re-enter negotiations with special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and would prefer to engage with Vice President JD Vance, two regional sources said."

Tehran’s alleged preference for JD Vance

According to the report, the message was sent to the US through private channels, signaling that Tehran believes discussions involving Witkoff and Kushner would be unproductive. 

This sentiment reportedly stems from a "deficit of trust" following the "breakdown of negotiations prior to Israel and the US launching military action."

The sources cited in the report claimed that Vance is viewed as "more sympathetic to wanting to end the war" compared to other officials, like Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

One source stated, “The perception is that Vance would be intent on wrapping up the conflict,” though they admitted it would be "risky" for the Vice President to take the lead, as “it won’t be easy to negotiate an end to the conflict.”

White House rejects foreign propaganda campaign

A White House official dismissed the report and told CNN, “This obvious op sourced entirely to ‘regional sources’ is clearly a coordinated foreign propaganda campaign meant to undermine the president.”

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt further clarified that "President Trump and only President Trump determines who negotiates on behalf of the United States." 

She emphasized that the president has already confirmed that "Vice President Vance, Secretary Rubio, Special Envoy Witkoff, and Mr Kushner will all be involved" in the ongoing diplomatic efforts.