Trump administration tightens rules Journalists kicked out of Pentagon press office
The Pentagon has once again tightened the rules for media representatives. Journalists will no longer be allowed to enter the press office of the US Department of Defense, which is now called the War Department.
02.06.2026, 11:18
02.06.2026, 11:27
SDA
The Pentagon has once again tightened the rules for media representatives. In future, journalists will no longer be permitted to enter the press office of the US Department of Defense, which is now called the War Department.
This was announced by Department spokesman Joel Valdez on the X platform.
The press office has been classified as a "particularly sensitive" area, as speechwriters for the Secretary of Defense also use the premises. They "regularly deal with classified documents", Valdez wrote.
The move comes amid a legal dispute over the ministry's press guidelines. Traditionally, media representatives have been allowed to be in public areas of the Pentagon and speak with employees, according to US media outlets.
"New York Times" sued Pentagon
Last fall, the Pentagon introduced new guidelines. These stipulated that journalists were not allowed to publish any information without the permission of the ministry - otherwise their accreditation could be revoked. Reporters who did not agree to this had to hand in their credentials and leave their jobs. Almost all major US media companies refused to sign the 21-page list of rules.
The "New York Times" filed a lawsuit against the guidelines. Federal judge Paul Friedman subsequently declared them unconstitutional. The Pentagon responded with new rules: Journalists are now only permitted access to the ministry when accompanied by "authorized personnel" until a new decision is made.
Critics see freedom of the press under threat
Since the recent inauguration of US President Donald Trump, the Republican administration has been trying to restrict access to independent media with various measures. For example, the composition of the White House press pool has been changed, with agencies such as the Associated Press (AP), Reuters and Bloomberg losing their permanent places.
Instead, right-wing bloggers and social media influencers referred to as "new media" were admitted, from whom the government hardly has to fear any critical questions at press conferences. In addition, Trump sued various media outlets for high fines because of their reporting. While he describes disagreeable journalists and entire editorial teams as radical left-wing, critics see the freedom of the press in the USA under threat.
