“Hegseth should be fired. He endangered our pilots, he's killing survivors at sea, and now his department is defying a federal court order to let the press do its job. The American people have a right to know what the Pentagon is doing, especially during a war.
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The Pentagon vs. the Press
October 13, 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's escalating crackdown on Pentagon press access — from requiring reporters to sign restrictive pledges in 2025, to closing the Correspondents' Corridor and mandating escorts in 2026 — has drawn a federal court ruling that the policy is unconstitutional. Over 30 major outlets forfeited their press credentials rather than comply. The New York Times sued in December 2025, and on March 20, 2026, Judge Paul Friedman ruled the policy violated the First and Fifth Amendments. The Pentagon then tried to reimpose restrictions under new rules; on April 9, 2026, the judge ruled the Pentagon was violating his court order.
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Statements Recorded
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4 Statements
“The Department of Defense disagrees with the ruling and intends to appeal. The Department has at all times complied with the Court's Order. The revised policy addressed the concerns raised by the judge. The Department remains committed to press access at the Pentagon while fulfilling its statutory obligation to ensure the safe and secure operation of the Pentagon Reservation.
“The curtailment of First Amendment rights is dangerous at any time, and even more so in a time of war. Suppression of political speech is the mark of an autocracy, not a democracy. The Department cannot simply reinstate an unlawful policy under the guise of taking 'new' action and expect the court to look the other way. The attempt by the Secretary of Defense to dictate the information received by the American people, to control the message so that the public hears and sees only what the Secretary and the Trump Administration want them to hear and see — the Constitution demands better. The American public demands better, too.
“The Pentagon closed its Correspondents' Corridor — where journalists have worked for decades — and required reporters entering the building to be accompanied by an escort at all times. Hegseth's team implemented the new restrictions three days after a federal judge ruled the original policy unconstitutional.
Background (2)— earlier statements that set the stage▸
“This is so dumb that I have a hard time believing it is true. 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 responded to The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and other outlets announcing they would not sign the Pentagon's restrictive press policy with a single emoji: a goodbye wave.