In an unsurprising move, CNN — which a jury found is literally fake news — is “stand[ing] 100% behind” the so-called “journalism” of one its biggest propagandists: Natasha Bertrand.

On Wednesday afternoon, the left-wing outlet issued a statement in defense of Bertrand amid criticisms the media hoaxer is facing over a recent report she co-authored about the U.S.-led strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Published on Tuesday, this “exclusive” contained anonymous claims about a preliminary defense intelligence assessment that these unnamed sources said shows the “strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities … did not destroy the core components of the country’s nuclear program and likely only set it back by months.”

President Donald Trump and members of his cabinet have since come out refuting the accuracy of Bertrand and Co.’s article. This includes statements by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, the latter of whom wrote on X, “New intelligence confirms what @POTUS has stated numerous times: Iran’s nuclear facilities have been destroyed. If the Iranians chose to rebuild, they would have to rebuild all three facilities … entirely, which would likely take years to do.”

Federalist Editor-in-Chief Mollie Hemingway has additionally reported that “multiple knowledgeable sources” have said “the intel assessment being bandied about specifically notes it was done the day after the strike, needs weeks’ more analysis, was not done in conjunction with other intel agencies, and was given a low confidence rating.”

But none of that has stopped CNN from rushing to Bertrand’s side. In its statement, the propaganda outlet said it “stand[s] 100% behind Natasha Bertrand’s journalism and specifically her and her colleagues’ reporting of the early intelligence assessment of the U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.”

“CNN’s reporting made clear that this was an initial finding that could change with additional intelligence,” the statement reads. “We have extensively covered President Trump’s own deep skepticism about it. However, we do not believe it is reasonable to criticize CNN reporters for accurately reporting the existence of the assessment and accurately characterizing its findings, which are in the public interest.”

It’s fitting that a self-professed “news” organization would defend a media hacktivist like Bertrand.

Both CNN and Bertrand were some of the biggest pushers of the infamous Russia collusion hoax. The latter regurgitated so much Trump-Russia propaganda that she earned the nickname “Fusion Natasha” — a nod to the opposition research firm (Fusion GPS) responsible for helping compile the phony Steele dossier.

[READ: Assume Everything Russia Hoaxer And Biden Laptop Truther Natasha Bertrand Says Is A Lie]

Bertrand is also notorious for helping corrupt intel officials run interference for Joe Biden ahead of the 2020 election. After the New York Post released a story on Hunter Biden’s laptop weeks before the November contest, Bertrand published a letter from 51 former intel officials, who falsely claimed the laptop — which contained information implicating Joe in the Bidens’ overseas business dealings — “has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.”

Of course, CNN was more than willing to amplify the unsubstantiated claim that the laptop was part of a “Russian disinformation” campaign.

Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood