Trump praises dog injured in al-Baghdadi raid, jokes about her attacking reporters


President Trump just held a surprise White House event with a very good girl.
Trump on Monday brought out Conan, the dog injured in the raid on ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, at the White House, announcing he was giving the "brilliant" dog, who he described as a "tough cookie," a medal and a plaque.
"I actually think Conan knew exactly what was going on," Trump said. "A dog that is very, very special."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
During the raid, Conan chased down the ISIS leader, and Trump previously declassified the dog's name along with posting an image of her, praising her "GREAT JOB." Though Trump referred to Conan as "he" during the event, a pool reporter confirmed Monday that Conan is actually female.
After reporters were warned before the event to "remain as calm as possible," Trump also made a joke out of the idea of Conan attacking the press, first noting that "this particular type of dog" is "trained that if you open your mouths, you will be attacked" and then jokingly telling one reporter, "You're very lucky he's not in a bad mood today." Brendan Morrow
Update: After conflicting reports from White House officials, Conan was confirmed to be male.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Critics' choice: 2025 James Beard Award winners
Feature Featuring a casually elegant restaurant, recipes nearly lost to war, and more
-
How will Trump's spending bill impact student loans?
the explainer Here's what the Republicans' domestic policy bill means for current and former students
-
Can the US economy survive Trump's copper tariffs?
Today's Big Question The price hike 'could upend' the costs of cars, houses and appliances
-
Judge nixes wiping medical debt from credit checks
Speed Read Medical debt can now be included in credit reports
-
Grijalva wins Democratic special primary for Arizona
Speed Read She will go up against Republican nominee Daniel Butierez to fill the US House seat her father held until his death earlier this year
-
US inflation jumps as Trump tariffs 'bite'
Speed Read Consumer prices are climbing and the inflation rate rose to its highest level in four months
-
SCOTUS greenlights mass DOE firings
Speed Read The Supreme Court will allow the Trump administration to further shrink the Education Department
-
Cuomo announces third-party run for NYC mayor
Speed Read He will go up against progressive Democratic powerhouse Zohran Mamdani and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams
-
Secret Service 'failures' on Trump shooting
Speed Read Two new reports detail security breakdowns that led to attempts on the president's life
-
Trump set to hit Canada with 35% tariffs
Speed Read The president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl
-
Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim over ICE detention
Speed Read This is the 'first damages complaint' brought by an individual targeted by the Trump's administration's 'crackdown' on Gaza war protesters