President Donald Trump threatened to jail a journalist as part of a hunt for the “leaker” behind initial reports Friday that a second Air Force officer from a downed US fighter jet was missing.
The public revelation complicated the administration’s military rescue efforts in Iran, Trump said at a White House press conference on Monday, which officials were trying to keep quiet following the successful recovery of the first airman on Friday.
“We’re going to go to the media company that released it, and we’re going to say, ‘National security, give it up or go to jail,’” Trump said, as he detailed the two separate rescues of the crew members shot down over Iran last week. “The person that did the story will go to jail if he doesn’t say.”
Trump did not specify which media outlet he was referring to, and the White House official declined to answer questions about his remarks. Iranian media had first reported the downed plane, sparking widespread discussion online about the fate of the crew before any major US outlet had published the news.
“An investigation is underway,” a White House official told CNN.
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