EDITORIAL: Hegseth, Pentagon chafe at government accountability
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has made no secret about his animosity toward the media. But his demand that press outlets pledge not to report “unauthorized material” or risk access to the Pentagon is, to put it bluntly, ridiculous. The Trump administration should reconsider.
Virtually every media outlet — including Fox News, no enemy of the White House — has refused to sign off on the new demands, to no surprise. The policy makes no distinction between classified or nonclassified material. It would allow the Pentagon to deem journalists as security or safety risks simply for soliciting certain information from department officials. Media organizations that don’t comply will lose Pentagon press credentials.
Mr. Hegseth maintains that the restrictions will further national security by discouraging leaks of sensitive material and preventing reporters from accessing parts of the Pentagon. But there are already limits on the latter, and the defense secretary has yet to explain the urgency of the former. If Mr. Hegseth is upset about leaks, he should focus on those doing the leaking rather than shooting the messenger.
While the policy likely doesn’t violate the letter of the First Amendment — outlets are free to publish stories and reporters aren’t barred from digging up dirt on the Pentagon — it’s certainly counter to the spirit of the press freedom enshrined in the Bill of Rights. The new rules are clearly designed as a Bronx cheer to media organizations and a means of disrupting news gathering. Conservatives applauding the move should consider how they would have reacted if the Biden administration had implemented similar restrictions at the Department of Education.
It is also problematic in that it signals Mr. Hegseth’s antipathy for accountability. President Donald Trump has been perhaps the most accessible chief executive in the nation’s history. It has been to his benefit. A Defense Department that operates in a similar manner would engender public confidence and support. A preference for the shadows breeds conspiracy theories and mistrust.
“Today, we join virtually every other news organization in declining to agree to the Pentagon’s new requirements, which would restrict journalists’ ability to keep the nation and the world informed of important national security issues,” read a statement signed by more than a dozen TV networks and print publications. “The policy is without precedent and threatens core journalistic protections.”
That’s correct. This is an agency, after all, that receives $1 trillion a year in taxpayer funds yet has never passed an audit of its expenditures. Mr. Trump should reverse course and tell Mr. Hegseth to back off.