President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem each said Tuesday the administration is looking into whether it can prosecute CNN over its reporting of both an app that alerts people of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity, and the recent bombings of Iran's nuclear facilities.
On Monday, CNN reported that a new iPhone app named ICEBlock lets users post sightings of ICE officers in their area.
Todd Lyons, ICE acting director, was quick to criticize the network, telling Newsmax's Rob Schmitt that CNN's promotion of the app was "disgusting" and warning that the platform puts law enforcement officers in danger.
While visiting South Florida to tour "Alligator Alcatraz" on Tuesday, Trump and Noem were asked about CNN's reporting of ICEBlock.
"We're working with the Department of Justice to see if we can prosecute them for that because what they're doing is actively encouraging people to avoid law enforcement, activities, operations," Noem said while standing next to Trump.
"We're going to actually go after them and prosecute them with the partnership of [Attorney General] Pam [Bondi] if we can because what they're doing we believe is illegal."
Bondi on Monday night warned ICEBlock developer Joshua Aaron that DOJ was "looking at him" for the doxxing of ICE agents.
CNN responded, saying in a statement: "This is an app that is publicly available to any iPhone user who wants to download it. There is nothing illegal about reporting the existence of this or any other app, nor does such reporting constitute promotion or other endorsement of the app by CNN."
During a pause in Noem's response to reporters, Trump chimed in by saying CNN also should pay for its fake news regarding the U.S. military's bombing in Iran.
"They may be prosecuted also for having given false reports on the attack in Iran. They were giving totally false reports. It was totally obliterated," Trump said of the Iranian nuclear facilities. "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.
"So, they may be very well prosecuted for that. What they did there, we think, is totally illegal."
Last week, Trump threatened to sue The New York Times and CNN over "unpatriotic" reporting that the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites set Tehran's nuclear program back by only a few months.
Trump's personal lawyer, Alejandro Brito, in a letter to the Times said the article had damaged Trump's reputation. He also demanded the news outlet "retract and apologize for" the piece, which the letter described as "false," "defamatory," and "unpatriotic."
CNN told the Times it had responded to a similar legal threat.
Both media outlets refused to apologize for the reporting.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.