U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has imposed sweeping new restrictions on journalists covering the Pentagon, triggering widespread concern among press freedom advocates and military correspondents. The policy, which took effect immediately, blocks reporters from accessing large areas of the Pentagon without escort and threatens credential revocation for those who fail to comply.
The two-page memo issued Friday outlines a series of measures that critics say will make independent reporting on U.S. military affairs nearly impossible. “If press require access to other areas/offices within the Pentagon for ‘in-person’ interviews (or other engagements), they are required to be formally escorted to and from those respective offices by authorized DoD personnel from those specific offices/Agencies/Military Departments,” the memo states.
Additionally, journalists must now complete an updated “in-briefing form” detailing their “responsibilities to protect” both classified and broadly defined “sensitive” information. The document warns that “failure by any member of the resident or visiting press to comply with these control measures will result in further restrictions and possibly revocation of press credentials.”
The Pentagon Press Association (PPA), which represents journalists covering the Department of Defense, said Hegseth’s order “appears to be a direct attack on the freedom of the press and America’s right to know what the military is doing.”
The announcement follows a series of scandals involving Hegseth, including revelations that he used a private group chat—including family members and his personal attorney—to discuss plans for a U.S. attack on Yemen. The timing of the press crackdown has raised further suspicion that the policy is not rooted in national security concerns, but rather an attempt to prevent coverage of potentially damaging internal actions.
Kevin Baron, a founding officer of the PPA, called the policy “un-American” and “dangerous.” “I’m angry and frustrated—but not surprised—that MAGA propaganda-loving conspiracy theorists like SecDef Hegseth and his team have dropped this JDAM-sized attack on the press,” he said.
National Press Club president Mike Balsamo issued a similar warning. “By blocking access to common areas, restricting movement without escorts, and complicating basic reporting functions, the Pentagon is making it harder for journalists to do their jobs and easier for power to go unchecked,” Balsamo said.
The crackdown also coincides with the Trump administration’s push to approve a $1 trillion military budget—an unprecedented figure that comes despite the Pentagon having failed its seventh consecutive audit. During a commencement address at West Point, Trump proudly declared his refusal to reduce Pentagon funding. “Some people say, ‘Could you cut it back?’ I said, ‘I’m not cutting 10 cents,’” Trump told graduating cadets. “We can cut plenty of other things.”
Those “other things” include core domestic programs. With Trump’s backing, House Republicans passed a budget that adds more than $100 billion in military spending while slashing nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Critics have labeled the deal a massive handout to defense contractors, especially given the lack of fiscal oversight within the Department of Defense.
The surge in military spending includes funding for Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative—a program widely dismissed by national security experts as unrealistic. Reuters reported last month that Elon Musk’s SpaceX is among the leading contenders to build a “crucial part” of the system, raising concerns about profiteering and conflicts of interest.
A new analysis by the National Priorities Project (NPP) outlines how the same $1 trillion earmarked for the military could be used to directly improve American lives. According to the report, that amount could eliminate all U.S. medical debt, end homelessness, solve teacher and nurse shortages, replace lead pipes nationwide, and create a high-speed rail network across the country.
“A trillion-dollar investment in ordinary Americans is not radical; it would effectively help prevent crime, improve security, and raise standards of living across the country. And it’s what most people actually want,” said Hanna Homestead, a research analyst at the NPP. “Poll after poll shows Americans would rather have their tax dollars spent on public services than on Pentagon contractors, and would prefer policymakers prioritize spending on healthcare, education, housing, and infrastructure—not the military.”
Hegseth’s memo marks a stark shift from the pledge he made when appointed to the post, promising to help lead “the most transparent” administration in U.S. history. The new rules, however, suggest a determined effort to insulate military decision-making from public scrutiny—even as record funds are allocated to the Pentagon with little accountability.
Press freedom groups warn that the restrictions are part of a broader erosion of transparency under the Trump administration. “The Pentagon is making it harder for journalists to do their jobs and easier for power to go unchecked,” Balsamo said.
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