Hegseth Imposes New Restrictions on Pentagon Reporters

DefSec Pete Hagseth

To curb media leaks, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced stringent restrictions on Friday, limiting reporters' unescorted access within the Pentagon to main entrances and the food court. Access to Hegseth’s office and Joint Chiefs’ spaces now requires approval from the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and an escort.

Hegseth stated, “While committed to transparency, the Department must protect classified and sensitive information, the unauthorized disclosure of which could endanger U.S. Service members.”

The directive also prohibits reporters from using the Pentagon’s gym and mandates signing a sensitive information protection form, with new badges clearly identifying them as journalists.

The Pentagon Press Association condemned the policy as an attack on free speech, stating, “This memo is a direct assault on press freedom and the public’s right to know about military activities.”

This follows the February eviction of major outlets like CNN and The New York Times from Pentagon office spaces to accommodate conservative media like Newsmax and the Daily Caller. The move comes amid recent turmoil, including a leaked Cabinet group chat involving Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg and the dismissal of senior aides Dan Caldwell, Darin Selnick, and Colin Carroll amid ongoing leak investigations.