Pentagon escalates fight with media by banning journalists from press office

The Pentagon is escalating its fight with the media by banning journalists from its own press office. They’ve done so by designating the space as classified, even as a legal battle over media access to the building continues.

SCOOP: The Pentagon has banned journalists from its press office, designating it a classified space. The change creates a new barrier between journalists and the public affairs officers who have traditionally answered their questions.https://t.co/DYgLYj99sc

— Scott Nover (@ScottNover) June 1, 2026

The Washington Post reported that the change stems from speechwriters now sharing the press office and needing access to a classified network, forcing journalists out – although access by appointment remains.

The Freedom for the Press Foundation condemned the move, saying that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s PR shop wants to protect its “lying.”

It’s rare for any useful information to come out of the Pentagon’s press office these days so it’s hard to imagine what basis they have to call the space classified.

The only government “secret” Pete Hegseth’s PR shop wants to protect is that it’s lying. https://t.co/jbAzncJAXk

— Freedom of the Press Foundation (@FreedomofPress) June 2, 2026

Escalation by the Trump admin

The move comes amid ongoing legal fights between the Trump administration and journalists.

In March, a federal judge ruled that a Pentagon press policy violated the First and Fifth Amendments of the US Constitution.

The policy, implemented in October, required Pentagon reporters to sign a document stating that any information gathered must be approved before release, even if unclassified.  The government is appealing the decision.

In a recent speech, Hegseth compared reporters to “Pharisees,” who in the Bible call Jesus’ teachings into question. Hegseth has had multiple encounters when he has been unhappy with the press questioning, especially on Trump’s ill-thought-out wars on Iran.

Last year, during the 12-day war on Iran, he said that the media had it in its DNA to cheer against Trump. This year, the pattern continued. In early May, Hegseth was annoyed after a reporter from NewsMaxx, which usually supports Trump, asked him when President Trump decided to capitulate on his initial demands for Iran to surrender unconditionally.

Hegseth was also visibly tense the day after Trump had declared his genocidal plan to end Iran’s civilization in April and shouted at an NBC journalist:

Why are you so rude?

The fascists at the Pentagon don’t like accountability – who is shocked?

Featured image via Getty/Anna Moneymaker

By The Canary

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