Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s (R) New Mandate Prohibiting Reporters from obtaining Military or Defense Information without Pentagon Approval, or Risk Losing their Press Credentials, was met with Condemnation from Media Organizations and Lawmakers in Washington.
The New Policy, First Reported by The Washington Post, drew Criticism from both Parties, with Rep. Don Bacon (R-NB, 2nd District) delivering a Sharp Rebuke. “This is so dumb that I have a hard time believing it is true,” Bacon wrote on X. “We don’t want a bunch of Pravda newspapers only touting the Government’s official position. A free press makes our country better. This sounds like more amateur hour.”
Hegseth and His Staff have been putting Restrictions on Reporters, and Attempting to Limit their Communications with Military Personnel, in a bid to contain Leaks. His Staff this year, Threatened to use Polygraph Tests to Stop People from Leaking Information, until the White House Intervened.
But Friday’s Announcement said Members of the Media that wish to Report from the Pentagon, would have to Sign Agreements Restricting their Movement in the Building and stipulating that they Not Obtain or Possess Unauthorized material. News Organizations, including The Washington Post, viewed it with Alarm.
Democratic Lawmakers were also Vocal in Opposition. “Pentagon censorship betrays the freedom it is charged to defend,” Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX, 37th District) wrote on Social Media. “In demanding preapproval of press coverage, Trump’s Department of War defends only Trump while making the First Amendment the enemy.”
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA, 5th District), responding to a Hegseth Post on X, wrote that “The Pentagon does not run the press — or the country. The people do.” Rep. Gil Cisneros (D-CA, 31stv District) wrote that “The biggest threat to national security is our Secretary of War.” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) calling the Policy, “Unreal.”
News Organizations, including The Post, the New York Times, and NPR, voiced Opposition to the New Requirements, but None indicated how exactly they would Respond.
“The Constitution protects the right to report on the activities of democratically elected and appointed government officials,” said Matt Murray, The Post’s Executive Editor. “Any attempt to control messaging and curb access by the government is counter to the First Amendment and against the public interest. The Washington Post will continue to pursue accurate, fair reporting in that interest.”
“Asking independent journalists to submit to these kinds of restrictions is at stark odds with the constitutional protections of a free press in a democracy, and a continued attempt to throttle the public’s right to understand what their government is doing,” a New York Times Spokesperson wrote. “This is yet another step in a concerning pattern of reducing access to what the U.S. military is undertaking at taxpayer expense. Our journalists will continue to report the facts deeply and fairly.”
“NPR is taking this very seriously,” its Editor in Chief, Thomas Evans, wrote in a Statement. “We’ll be working with other news organizations to push back. We’re big fans of the 1st Amendment and transparency and we want the American public to understand what’s being done in their name.” A Spokesperson for the Wall Street Journal said it is “deeply disturbed by this development and what it signals” and that it is Evaluating how the Policy will Affect its Newsroom Staff.
On Friday, the Pentagon Press Association Offered a Short Statement, saying Only that it “is aware of today’s new directive regarding badge access to the Pentagon and is reviewing it.” In a Statemen, Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell (R) stood behind the New Policy. “These are basic, common-sense guidelines to protect sensitive information as well as the protection of national security and the safety of all who work at the Pentagon,” He said.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said on His Podcast: “I think it is unbelievably dangerous for government to put itself in the position of saying, ‘We’re going to decide what speech we like and what we don’t, and we’re going to threaten to take you out there if we don’t like what you’re saying.’”
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