Several journalists chose to hand in their access badges and clear their work areas on Wednesday rather than sign onto the Department of War's new agreement on what can be shared from the Pentagon, Breitbart reported. Reporters have been given until Tuesday night to sign or leave, and several chose the latter.
Journalist Eric Daugherty shared photos of signs for major news outlets piled up near offices as reporters exited. "BREAKING: The Pentagon has just confiscated the badges of nearly every major media organization in the United States, barring their access, after they refused to sign on to Pete Hegseth's new security rules to guard sensitive information. Reporters were seen leaving," Daugherty wrote.
He quoted the Pentagon Press Agency's statement about the move. "Today, the Defense Department confiscated the badges of the Pentagon reporters from virtually every major media organization in America. It did this because reporters would not sign onto a new media policy over its implicit threat of criminalizing national security reporting and exposing those who sign it to potential prosecution," the Pentagon Press Association said
🚨 BREAKING: The Pentagon has just confiscated the badges of nearly every major media organization in the United States, barring their access, after they refused to sign on to Pete Hegseth's new security rules to guard sensitive information.
Reporters were seen leaving.
"Today,… pic.twitter.com/icRZWDhxaj
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 15, 2025
The credentialing agreement these journalists were asked to sign pertained to what should and shouldn't be made public as reporters are given an insiders view into the goings on at the Department of War. This is for the safety of the troops as well as the integrity of any given military action, officials said.
"The policy does not ask for them to agree, just to acknowledge that they understand what our policy is. This has caused reporters to have a full-blown meltdown, crying victim online. We stand by our policy because it’s what’s best for our troops and the national security of this country," Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also slammed the actions of the reporters. "You would think that the Pentagon press corps, of all press corps, would be front and center across the board on wanting to give credit to the President for forging this kind of peace, and instead, what they want to talk about is a policy about them," Hegseth said.
"Maybe the policy should look like the White House or other military installations, where you have to wear a badge that identifies that you’re press, or you can’t just roam anywhere you want. It used to be, Mr. President, the press could go anywhere, pretty much anywhere, in the Pentagon, the most classified area in the world," Hegseth explained.
"If they sign on to the credentialing, they’re not going to try to get soldiers to break the law by giving them classified information. So it’s common sense stuff. Mr. President, we’re trying to make sure national security is respected, and we’re proud of the policy," Hegseth told President Donald Trump.
It appears that this change has led to a mass exodus of journalists from the Pentagon reporter pool for now. Outlets that withdrew their support included The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, and CNN, while One America News said that it would sign the agreement.
The journalists claimed that such a policy exerts too much control on the press under the guise of national security. Steven Cheung, White House communications director, said that in reality "a few reporters on this wall have privately said they were bullied into participating in the walkout when they actually wanted to stay," Cheung posted to X on Wednesday.
"They were physically confronted and threatened with retaliation if they didn’t join the protest," he charged. Whether that's true or not, it appears that the "in brief" form they were asked to sign outlined the proper procedure for navigating the building that houses America's military secrets, rather than editorial decisions.
The Department of War insists that it isn't about controlling the messaging or coverage, but rather ensuring that what's being reported doesn't jeopardize the mission as members of the media are privy to official information. Journalists believe that signing onto such an agreement would expose them to potential legal or professional problems in the future.
The press is right to demand as much transparency as possible from the government. However, they weren't concerned when Trump's predecessor was in the White House, so their objections ring hollow in this pure political spectacle.
