Pete Hegseth’s press crackdown is backfiring

Photo: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivers remarks at Fort Bragg, North Carolina on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, during a visit to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. Photo credit: Official White House photo by Daniel Torok via Flickr. US government work. Commentary article by Sophia Tesfaye. Salon – October 15, 2025.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has managed to ignite cross‑ideological media solidarity with his unprecedented attempt to silence journalists. Today, over 100 resident Pentagon press members who failed to sign Hegseth’s new policy, which restricts reporters to only publish information preauthorized by Pentagon authorities, are required to turn in their passes and vacate the premises. And in a remarkable act of repudiation, the U.S. press corps stands virtually united in defiance of the former “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host — even his former employer Fox News. […]

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