Journalists vacate their offices in the Pentagon in rejection of restrictions supported by Trump news

Dozens of journalists handed in their entry cards and left the Pentagon building yesterday, Wednesday, instead of agreeing to the restrictions imposed by the American administration on their work.

Most media outlets were united in their rejection of the new rules imposed by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, which would make journalists vulnerable to expulsion if they attempted to report information that Hegseth had not agreed to be published.

The journalists left at 4 p.m. local time, the deadline set by the Ministry of War to approve the new restrictions or leave the building. About 40 journalists left the offices designated for the media almost deserted after they carried with them their boxes of documents and equipment on their way out.

“It’s sad, but I’m very proud of the team of journalists because we stuck together,” said Atlantic magazine correspondent Nancy Youssef, who has worked at the Pentagon since 2007, as she carried a map of the Middle East to her car.

It is unclear what practical impact the new rules will have on media coverage. Media organizations involved in the protest pledged to continue covering military affairs regardless of the whereabouts of their journalists. Some journalists said their sources will continue to talk to them, although some in the military are concerned by threats from leadership at the Pentagon.

The Associated Press said that images of journalists protesting against restrictions on their work are unlikely to sway President Donald Trump’s supporters, as many of them resent journalists and encourage his efforts to make their work more difficult. She explained that Trump fought legal battles against many media organizations, including the New York Times, CBS News, ABC News, the Wall Street Journal, and the Associated Press.

Trump did not hide his support for the new rules imposed by his Secretary of War, and he told reporters at the White House the day before Tuesday, “I think he sees the press as destructive to world peace… The press is not truthful.”

Previous steps

Even before issuing his new press policy, Hegseth, a former Fox News anchor, had systematically reduced the flow of information. Press conferences witnessed a significant decrease, as 6 conferences were held since the beginning of the year, compared to at least two conferences per week during Joe Biden’s presidency.

Hegseth banned journalists from entering many parts of the vast Pentagon without escort, and launched investigations into leaks to the media.

Hegseth described his new rules as “common sense” and said that requiring journalists to sign a document containing the rules means they acknowledge the new rules but not necessarily agree with them. Journalists believe that this is a formal and meaningless difference.

Jack Keane, a retired US Army general and Fox News analyst, said on Hegseth’s previous show, “What they really want to do is provide information to the journalist themselves so that it becomes the story… This is not journalism.”

The Pentagon Journalists Association said in a statement that the new rules “muzzle the mouths of Pentagon employees and threaten retaliation against journalists who seek information that has not been previously approved for publication.”