US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued directives mandating that journalists be accompanied by official escorts throughout significant portions of the Pentagon building. This move marks the latest in a series of restrictions placed on the press by the Trump administration.
These new measures, effective immediately, prohibit credentialed reporters from accessing most areas of the Department of Defense headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, without explicit official approval and an escort.
In a memorandum, Hegseth stated, “While the Department remains committed to transparency, the Department is equally obligated to protect CSNI [classified intelligence] and sensitive information — the unauthorized disclosure of which could put the lives of US Service members in danger.”
He emphasized that safeguarding classified national intelligence information and operational security is “an unwavering imperative for the Department.”
The Pentagon Press Association, a membership organization representing the interests of journalists covering the US military, commented that the new regulations appear to be a “direct attack on the freedom of the press.”
Their statement read: “The decision is purportedly based on concerns about operational security. But the Pentagon Press Corps has had access to non-secured, unclassified spaces in the Pentagon for decades, under Republican and Democratic administrations, including in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, without any concern about OP-SEC from DoD leadership.”
Responding to a request for comment, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell affirmed: “These updated measures are a necessary step to protect sensitive information and to keep our US service members protected from preventable risks.”
Since President Donald Trump took office again in January, the Pentagon has initiated an investigation into leaks, which has led to three officials being placed on administrative leave.
Furthermore, it has required established media organizations, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, and NBC News, to vacate their Pentagon office spaces as part of a new rotation system. This system has introduced other outlets, some of which are generally supportive of the Trump administration, such as the New York Post, Breitbart, the Daily Caller, and One America News Network.
The Trump administration contends that this change is intended to provide other media outlets with the opportunity to report as resident members of the press corps.
More broadly, the Trump administration has employed lie detector tests to investigate unclassified leaks. Reuters reported on Friday that some Department of Homeland Security officials were informed they could face termination for refusing polygraphs. The White House maintains that Trump will not tolerate leaks to the media and that federal employees responsible for such disclosures should be held accountable.
Hegseth’s order on Friday also mandates that members of the Pentagon press corps acknowledge their responsibility to protect national intelligence and sensitive information. It further states that they will be issued new credentials that more visibly identify them as members of the press.
The memo concluded, “We also anticipate a forthcoming announcement of additional security measures and enhanced scrutiny on the issuance of [credentials].”
