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Gone quiet · last update Oct 14, 2026 / Pete Hegseth

The Trump administration and the press: Hegseth's Pentagon press restrictions

Overview · reviewed October 22, 2026

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has steadily narrowed reporters' access to the Pentagon. In October 2025, nearly every major news organization turned in its credentials rather than accept rules that left journalists open to expulsion if they sought information the department had not approved for release.[1] The New York Times sued, and a federal judge ruled key parts of the policy unconstitutional; an appeals court let the Pentagon require escorts while it appealed, and in June 2026 the judge blocked that escort rule, at least for Times reporters.[2][3][4] In 2026 the Pentagon also fired leaders of Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper whose independence Congress protects, and installed one of its own public affairs officials as acting publisher.[5][6]

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Follow this story to see new developments when you return.

The New York Times sued, and a federal judge ruled key parts of the policy unconstitutional; an appeals court let the Pentagon require escorts while it appealed, and in June 2026 the judge blocked that escort rule, at least for Times reporters.[2][3][4] In 2026 the Pentagon also fired leaders of Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper whose independence Congress protects, and installed one of its own public affairs officials as acting publisher.[5][6]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2025-01-27 (UTC): 4%, 9 of 223 tracked outlets (6 left, 3 center, 0 right)Week of 2025-02-03 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-02-10 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-02-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-02-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-03-03 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-03-10 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-03-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-03-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-03-31 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-04-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-04-14 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-04-21 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-04-28 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-05-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-05-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-05-19 (UTC): 3%, 6 of 197 tracked outlets (2 left, 1 center, 3 right)Week of 2025-05-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-16 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-23 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-30 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-14 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-21 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-28 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-04 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-11 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-18 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-25 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-13 (UTC): 18%, 33 of 182 tracked outlets (12 left, 15 center, 6 right)Week of 2025-10-20 (UTC): 7%, 13 of 194 tracked outlets (4 left, 8 center, 1 right)Week of 2025-10-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-03 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-10 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-01 (UTC): 15%, 26 of 177 tracked outlets (8 left, 11 center, 7 right)Week of 2025-12-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-16 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-23 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-16 (UTC): 13%, 23 of 178 tracked outlets (8 left, 11 center, 4 right)Week of 2026-03-23 (UTC): 5%, 9 of 170 tracked outlets (2 left, 6 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-03-30 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-06 (UTC): 6%, 10 of 154 tracked outlets (1 left, 7 center, 2 right)Week of 2026-04-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-27 (UTC): 4%, 6 of 160 tracked outlets (2 left, 3 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-05-04 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-11 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-18 (UTC): 3%, 5 of 197 tracked outlets (1 left, 3 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-05-25 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-29 (UTC): 1%, 8 of 569 tracked outlets (3 left, 3 center, 2 right)Week of 2026-07-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-03 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-10 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-17 (UTC): 6%, 28 of 464 tracked outlets (5 left, 15 center, 8 right)Week of 2026-08-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-31 (UTC): 5%, 23 of 475 tracked outlets (6 left, 14 center, 3 right)Week of 2026-09-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-14 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-21 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-28 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-12 (UTC): 1%, 6 of 476 tracked outlets (1 left, 2 center, 3 right)Week of 2026-10-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outlets, so far

LeftCenterRightLighter bar: this week so far

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 6 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (14 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Oct 12, 20261236 of 4761%
Aug 31, 2026614323 of 4755%
Aug 17, 2026515828 of 4646%
Jun 29, 20263328 of 5691%
May 18, 20261315 of 1973%
Apr 27, 20262316 of 1604%
Apr 6, 202617210 of 1546%
Mar 23, 20262619 of 1705%
Mar 16, 2026811423 of 17813%
Dec 1, 2025811726 of 17715%
Oct 20, 202548113 of 1947%
Oct 13, 20251215633 of 18218%
May 19, 20252136 of 1973%
Jan 27, 20256309 of 2234%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Oct 13, 2026 · first reported · Headline from The Hill

    Pentagon taps DOD public affairs official as Stars and Stripes publisher

Background

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth began reshaping the Pentagon press corps in February 2025. A department memo told The New York Times, NBC News, NPR and Politico to vacate their Pentagon offices by February 14 under a new "rotation program," handing the space to outlets including One America News, Breitbart and the New York Post.[7] In May, amid leaks to the media, Hegseth barred reporters from walking the building's corridors without official approval and a department escort.[8]

Read the full background (3 more paragraphs)

The sharpest break came that fall. A new access policy asked reporters to acknowledge rules that would leave them vulnerable to expulsion for seeking information the Pentagon had not approved for release, and Hegseth said those who did not sign by the deadline must turn in their badges and clear out their workspaces.[9][1] At least 20 news organizations refused, including ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, NBC News, The New York Times and The Washington Post, saying the policy threatened core protections for a free press.[9] On October 15, 2025, dozens of reporters handed in their badges and left the building together.[1] A week later the Pentagon welcomed a new press corps of about 60 journalists, mostly from conservative outlets, including the streaming service Lindell TV.[10]

The Times took the policy to court in December 2025, arguing that it gave Hegseth wide discretion to oust journalists over their coverage.[11] In March 2026, a federal judge ruled that key portions of the rules violated the First and Fifth Amendment rights of the Times and its reporter Julian E. Barnes.[2] The department said it would issue new credentials but close Correspondents' Corridor, the area reporters had used for decades to cover the military.[12] In April, U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman found that the Pentagon was violating his order and directed it to restore full access for credentialed journalists.[13] Later that month, a three-judge appeals panel allowed the department to require escorts while the government appealed.[3] The Times sued a second time in May, calling the escort requirement unconstitutional and retaliatory, and in June the judge temporarily blocked it, at least for Times journalists.[14][4]

The Pentagon also moved against Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper that has served troops and their families for generations and whose independence Congress protects.[5] In August 2026 it fired three staff members, including the editor-in-chief, Erik Slavin, after he condemned "hypothetical censorship" in an interview, according to multiple news outlets.[15][16] "I stand by the principle that Stars and Stripes should remain independent for service members," Slavin said.[16] In September, a federal judge declined to block the firings, which the Pentagon attributed to insubordination, ruling that the three were not likely to succeed in their First Amendment claims.[17] In October the Pentagon named Christian Devine, an executive director in its public affairs office, acting publisher of the paper.[6]

Supporting stories (17)
  1. Journalists turn in access badges, exit Pentagon rather than agree to new reporting rules
  2. Judge voids parts of Pentagon press policy, citing First Amendment concerns
  3. Pentagon can restrict journalists' access, make them be escorted for now: Court
  4. Judge orders Pentagon to lift policy that journalists be accompanied by an escort
  5. Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes leaders amid Hegseth pressure campaign
  6. Pentagon installs its own public affairs official as acting Stars and Stripes publisher months after firing leadership
  7. Pentagon removes major media outlets from workspaces in new ‘rotation program'
  8. Defense Secretary Hegseth, bedeviled by leaks, orders more restrictions on press at Pentagon
  9. Major U.S. news outlets reject Pentagon’s new media rules
  10. After others departed, Pentagon announces 'new' press corps filled with conservative news outlets
  11. New York Times sues the Pentagon
  12. Pentagon will remove media offices after judge reinstates New York Times press credentials
  13. Federal judge finds Pentagon is violating court order to restore access to reporters
  14. The New York Times sues the Pentagon a second time over Hegseth's media restrictions
  15. Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes journalists
  16. Pentagon fires 3 employees from Stars and Stripes after CBS News interview
  17. Federal judge allows Pentagon to fire three Stars and Stripes journalists

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 17 recorded updates

October 2026

  1. Pentagon installs its own public affairs official as acting Stars and Stripes publisher months after firing leadershipHeadline from New York Post · 6 outlets

September 2026

  1. Federal judge allows Pentagon to fire three Stars and Stripes journalistsHeadline from ABC 17 Mid-Missouri · 24 outlets

August 2026

  1. Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes journalistsHeadline from St. Louis Post-Dispatch · 1 outlet
  2. Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes leaders amid Hegseth pressure campaignHeadline from KRDO · 7 outlets
  3. Pentagon fires 3 employees from Stars and Stripes after CBS News interviewHeadline from CBS News · 22 outlets

June 2026

  1. Judge orders Pentagon to lift policy that journalists be accompanied by an escortHeadline from WDIO Duluth · 8 outlets

May 2026

  1. The New York Times sues the Pentagon a second time over Hegseth's media restrictionsHeadline from MyNorthwest · 5 outlets

April 2026

  1. Pentagon can restrict journalists' access, make them be escorted for now: CourtHeadline from ABC 7 Chicago · 6 outlets
  2. Federal judge finds Pentagon is violating court order to restore access to reportersHeadline from MyNorthwest · 12 outlets

March 2026

  1. Pentagon will remove media offices after judge reinstates New York Times press credentialsHeadline from ABC 7 New York · 9 outlets
  2. Judge voids parts of Pentagon press policy, citing First Amendment concernsHeadline from WISH-TV Indianapolis · 25 outlets

December 2025

  1. New York Times sues the PentagonHeadline from The Columbian · 29 outlets

October 2025

  1. After others departed, Pentagon announces 'new' press corps filled with conservative news outletsHeadline from WHEC Rochester · 15 outlets
  2. Journalists turn in access badges, exit Pentagon rather than agree to new reporting rulesHeadline from WTOP Washington DC · 17 outlets
  3. Major U.S. news outlets reject Pentagon’s new media rulesHeadline from BNO News · 27 outlets

May 2025

  1. Defense Secretary Hegseth, bedeviled by leaks, orders more restrictions on press at PentagonHeadline from Seattle Times · 8 outlets

January 2025

  1. Pentagon removes major media outlets from workspaces in new ‘rotation program'Headline from NBC Los Angeles · 10 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →