Overview

• Under the policy, credentialed Pentagon reporters must pledge not to obtain or publish information that has not been authorized for public release, with violations risking revocation of building passes and labeling as security risks.
• Chief spokesman Sean Parnell defended the rules as common‑sense safeguards consistent with other military installations and executive orders, as Secretary Pete Hegseth urged reporters to “wear a badge and follow the rules — or go home.”
• President Trump said the Pentagon should not decide what journalists can report, a public stance that contradicts the department’s directive.
• Major outlets including the New York Times, Reuters, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and NPR condemned the policy, press‑freedom groups called it a prior restraint, and the Pentagon Press Association is reviewing the directive as newsrooms consider legal challenges.
• Lawmakers from both parties, including Sen. Jack Reed and Rep. Don Bacon, criticized the move, which extends a year of tightened access at the Pentagon such as evicting outlets from workspaces and restricting unescorted movement inside the building.