CNN snapped back on Tuesday at President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s suggestion the network be prosecuted for reporting on an app to track federal immigration agents.
The network said there was “nothing illegal” its Monday report on an app used to track Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The report plunged the MAGA sphere into chaos, and Trump and Noem said on Tuesday they were working with Pam Bondi’s Justice Department to see if the network could face criminal charges. “I’m OK with that,” Trump said.”
“What they’re doing is actively encouraging people to avoid law enforcement activities operations and we’re going to actually go after them and prosecute them with the partnership of Pam if we can,” Noem added.
“This is an app that is publicly available to any iPhone user who wants to download it,” CNN said in a statement. “There is nothing illegal about reporting the existence of this or any other apps nor does such reporting constitute promotion or other endorsement of the app by CNN.”
https://t.co/aoqLrHthoK pic.twitter.com/FHFYsXK1W0
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) July 1, 2025
Trump floated last week some level of legal liability for the network after CNN reported on an early intelligence report that suggested his strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities were subdued, a claim he reiterated on Tuesday.
“They may be prosecuted also for having given false reports on the attack in Iran,” Trump said. “They were given totally false reports. It was totally obliterated and our people have to be celebrated not come home and say what do you mean we didn’t hit the target? We hit the target.”
The comments reiterated border czar Tom Homan and acting ICE director Todd Lyons’ anger on Monday over the report, which they claimed promoted the app and put ICE agents at risk.
“This is horrendous that a national media outlet would be out there trying to forecast law enforcement operations throughout the country,” Homan told right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson on Monday. “It’s incredible where we’re at as a country and I think the [Department of Justice] needs to look at this and see if they crossed a line.”
Lyons also told Newsmax’s Rob Schmitt Tonight that it was working with the DOJ to see what next steps would look like.
“They’ve been great partners with us as far as prosecuting anyone that has impeded or interfered with ICE arrest,” Lyons said. “So that’s what we’re focusing on now with the Department of Justice—to see exactly what we can do.”
The Trump administration has often tried to operate the levers of government against those it perceives is interfering with its priorities.
Federal Communications Chairman and Trump acolyte Brendan Carr opened an investigation in February into a San Francisco radio station partially owned by Democratic backer George Soros after the station aired the live locations of undercover ICE agents, questioning how its report fulfilled its “public interest obligations” under their FCC license.
The station quoted information from the Rapid Response Network in Santa Clara County, which aims to shield immigrants from deportation threats.
Trump also told Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures in an interview that aired Sunday that he would consider invoking national security grounds to get journalists to reveal their sources.
“You go up and tell the reporter, ‘national security–who gave it?’” Trump said. “You have to do that, and I suspect we’ll be doing things like that.”
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