Pentagon Invites Travis & Sexton To Broadcast

Sean Parnell, the chief spokesperson for the Pentagon, has extended an invitation to conservative radio hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton to broadcast their show from the Pentagon, according to sources cited by Axios.

Why It Matters:  The Trump administration appears to be reshaping the dynamics within press briefing rooms, emphasizing new media norms.

Changes in Press Workspace: Last month, the Defense Department evicted NPR, The New York Times, NBC News, and Politico from their workspaces in the Pentagon's Correspondents' Corridor. CNN, The Washington Post, The Hill, and The War Zone were later added to this list. Their spaces are now being offered to a rotating selection of mostly conservative media outlets, including the New York Post, One America News Network, Breitbart News, Bari Weiss' The Free Press, and HuffPost.

Continued Access: Despite the workspace changes, journalists from the ousted organizations remain part of the Pentagon press corps.

Invitation Details: During an appearance on Travis and Sexton's podcast, Parnell hinted at the invitation, stating, "You all are welcome anytime in the Pentagon press room, or if you want to broadcast from the Pentagon, we will figure out a way to make that happen." 

The Pentagon press conference room

Travis later suggested on the show that there was a "good chance" they would broadcast from both the Pentagon and the White House. In another interview, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed this welcome, expressing hope that Travis and Sexton would join them in the briefing room soon.

No Official Announcement: The Defense Department has not formally announced these plans, advising to check www.defense.gov for updates on schedules.

Background on Travis and Sexton: They took over the radio slot previously held by the late Rush Limbaugh on Premiere Networks in 2021. Their show, which airs nationwide, has significant influence within the Trump administration. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently appeared on their show, discussing Middle Eastern policy. Travis also operates Outkick, a sports media website, while Sexton is known as a political commentator and podcaster.

Media Scrutiny: The Trump administration has been proactive in its approach to media, including cutting federal spending on Politico subscriptions and initiating FCC investigations into major networks like Comcast, NBC, CBS, PBS, and NPR.

AP Ban: Recently, the White House announced plans to exclude the Associated Press from certain events, citing dissatisfaction with AP's editorial style which they believe promotes liberal biases across media.