Overview
- New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman told CNN on Saturday that he wants Iran’s regime defeated but does not want President Donald Trump or Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to gain political strength from the war.
- He called Trump and Netanyahu “two awful human beings,” described them as “alleged crooks,” and said they are pursuing “anti-democratic projects,” framing his position as a personal moral dilemma.
- A short clip of the exchange spread widely as right‑leaning outlets reposted it, with at least one outlet saying it drew more than a million views on X.
- Critics including Brit Hume labeled the comment a “perfect” case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, while former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, Mark Dubowitz, and Ari Fleischer accused Friedman and the broader press of putting partisanship over national interest.
- The reaction comes during active U.S.-Israel military operations against Iran, and the episode is now a talking point in conservative media about mainstream‑press bias, with no follow‑up or retraction from Friedman reported in the coverage.