Tipsheet

Hegseth's Response to Media Outlets Complaining About the Pentagon's New Press Policy Is *Chef's Kiss*

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  October 14, 2025 11:00 AM

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth responded to multiple media outlets who announced they will not sign the Pentagon’s revised press rules with a hand-wave emoji. 

The Associated Press, Reuters, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, CNN and NPR have already said they will not sign off on the policy, which “in a nutshell” is asking journalists to “wear a media credential” and “have an escort for sensitive areas,” Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell previously explained. 

Hegseth posted a summary of the rules on X, noting the "Pentagon now has same rules as every U.S military installation." 

He waved goodbye in response to statements posted on X from The Atlantic, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. 

Journalists have until Tuesday at 5 p.m. to decide whether or not to sign the form. Those who do not must turn in their credentials a day later.

Other news outlets, including The Guardian and CNN, have also said they would reject the policy. The announcements reflect the news media’s wide-ranging frustration with efforts by Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, to curtail the physical movement of reporters in the building and impose fresh limits on their activities.

“CNN’s mission to report fairly and fully on the Department of War, the U.S. military and the Trump administration will continue regardless of physical access to the Pentagon. We will not be deflected from our duty to hold all three fairly and fully to account, and we will continue to report on the actions and decision-making processes of the U.S. government without fear or favor,” CNN said in a statement last week.

In a statement on Friday, Richard Stevenson, the Washington bureau chief of The Times said: “Journalists from The New York Times will not sign the Pentagon’s revised press pass policy, which threatens to punish them for ordinary news gathering protected by the First Amendment. Since the policy was first announced, we have expressed concerns that it constrains how journalists can report on the U.S. military, which is funded by nearly $1 trillion in taxpayer dollars annually.”

The Pentagon Press Association, which lobbies for Pentagon reporters, issued a statement on Monday saying, “This Wednesday, most Pentagon Press Association members seem likely to hand over their badges rather than acknowledge a policy that gags Pentagon employees and threatens retaliation against reporters who seek out information that has not been preapproved for release.” (NYT)