Overview
- The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., names the Department of Defense, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and chief spokesman Sean Parnell, and seeks an injunction and a declaration that the policy is unconstitutional.
- The contested 21-page agreement bars reporters from soliciting or publishing information not explicitly authorized by the department, applies to unclassified material gathered on or off Pentagon grounds, and allows credential revocation based on perceived security risk.
- The Pentagon defends the policy as a common-sense safeguard against leaks that could harm operational and national security, with officials saying they look forward to addressing the arguments in court.
- Dozens of legacy outlets surrendered their badges rather than sign, while a new cohort of pro-Trump influencers and conservative outlets attended on-camera briefings where press secretary Kingsley Wilson referred to excluded reporters as “propagandists.”
- Press-freedom groups and the Pentagon Press Association publicly backed the challenge, and the complaint cites precedents such as Sherrill v. Knight and Karem v. Trump; Times reporter Julian E. Barnes is a co-plaintiff.