At least one congressional Republican vehemently disagrees with a new Pentagon policy restricting reporters from gathering any information not released directly from the Department of War.
Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), a moderate Republican who is not running for reelection in one of the country’s most competitive House districts, openly slammed the new policy.
“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.”
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The Pentagon has been more strict on media access during the second Trump administration, especially after several Signal leaks led to multiple investigations into how top defense officials have been communicating.
Most recently, the Pentagon is forcing reporters to pledge to only release information that was expressly authorized by the Pentagon. If reporters violate the policy or if they possess confidential or unauthorized information, their credentials can be revoked.
“DoW remains committed to transparency to promote accountability and public trust,” a Pentagon document said. “However, DoW information must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorizing official before it is released, even if it is unclassified.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the “press” does not run the Pentagon.
“The ‘press’ does not run the Pentagon — the people do. The press is no longer allowed to roam the halls of a secure facility. Wear a badge and follow the rules — or go home,” he wrote in a post on X.
Hegseth previously put limits on where the press could go in the Pentagon, banning them from much of the Pentagon unless they have an escort.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement shared with the Washington Post on Friday that the new policy “reaffirms the standards that are already in line with every other military base in the country.”
“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 added.
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The National Press Club rapidly condemned the new Pentagon restrictions.
“If the news about our military must first be approved by the government, then the public is no longer getting independent reporting. It is getting only what officials want them to see. That should alarm every American,” National Press Club President Mike Balsamo said in a statement.
