The Pentagon has barred reporters from entering its press office, claiming the space has been redesignated as a classified facility that houses sensitive defense materials. The move marks the latest escalation in the Trump administration's effort to tighten control over military reporting.
Acting Defense Department Press Secretary Jose Valdez announced the restriction on social media, stating that speechwriters in the Office of the Secretary of War share the press office and handle classified documents. "Journalists will no longer be permitted to enter the office space," Valdez wrote, while insisting the Pentagon remains "the most transparent war department in history."
The designation as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility effectively locks out credentialed reporters who have historically enjoyed broad access to the Pentagon's press operations. The Washington Post first reported the change, which Valdez later confirmed.
This latest restriction comes after months of escalating tension between the defense department and the press. The administration began tightening access last September, requiring journalists to pledge not to gather any information, classified or unclassified, unless officially authorized for release or face losing their credentials. Many veteran Pentagon reporters refused to sign on and surrendered their press passes in protest.
By October, the defense department had announced a new press corps consisting of 60 journalists from far-right outlets, effectively replacing mainstream newsroom correspondents. The New York Times immediately challenged the policy in federal court, with a judge finding in the newspaper's favor in March and ruling that journalists had been improperly branded as "security risks."
The Pentagon responded by requiring all journalists to have official escorts while visiting the building. Another federal judge found that interim policy violated the earlier court order, but it remained in force when an appeals court paused part of the ruling to allow the government to mount an appeal.
In May, the Times sued the Pentagon again, characterizing the escort requirement as an unconstitutional effort to suppress independent military reporting.
Author James Rodriguez: "The Pentagon's classification shuffle looks like a workaround to sidestep court orders, not a legitimate security fix."
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