My Mom, a child of the Depression and a young adult during World War 2, even in the Reagan era, was not a fan of the legacy media, then, pretty much the only media. She didn't trust them too much, and she was fond of an (apocryphal) quote from WW2, from U.S. Navy Admiral William "Bull" Halsey, who, when asked by an aide what he should tell the press about an upcoming operation, replied, "Tell them nothing. When it's over, tell them who won."
That's how military communications should be carried out. There's a level of security that should be taken for granted, and that means, in certain cases, such as an ongoing operation, telling the media only what they need to know, when they need to know it.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth gets it. To that end, he has now put an end to the media wandering around the Pentagon, unbadged and unchecked.
🚨 BREAKING: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth just CRACKED DOWN on leaks and fake news reporters roaming the Pentagon whenever they want.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 5, 2025
"The Pentagon press corps can SQUEAL all they want! We're taking these things seriously."
"We're not allowing everybody to roam around the… pic.twitter.com/QS1NJDklms
The post continues:
"We're not allowing everybody to roam around the building. You know, that was the policy before. If you were a Pentagon reporter, you could just walk around the building."
"No badge, no escort, no nothing. Walk into offices, talk to anybody, who knows where there's classified information. We're making the rules more like you might say the White House."
"If you want to move around the building, you're going to have a badge. It's going to be clear. You're going to be escorted when you do so. And we have expectation that you're not soliciting classified or sensitive information."
"The American people see things like that as absolute common sense."
That is as it should be. The War Department has been plagued with leaks in the past, and this will go a long way towards ending that.
Read More: Enough Talk, Time for Muscle: Why Pete Hegseth’s Military Overhaul Is the Reset We Need
Pete Hegseth Makes a Much-Needed 'My Way or the Highway' Offer to Assembled Generals and Admirals
Better yet, oust the media completely from the Pentagon, except perhaps for a small briefing room, in the style of the White House. Yes, the American people have a right to know what their taxpayer dollars are going for, but there are some functions involved in the federal government's role in protecting the liberty and property of the American people that require a level of security. Military planning and operations are among those functions.
In the video above, Secretary Hegseth, speaking with Fox News' Peter Doocy, said:
We're setting clear rules at the Pentagon. We're not playing games. We're not allowing everybody to roam around the building. You know, that was the policy before, Peter. If you were a Pentagon reporter, you could just walk around the building. No badge, no escort, no nothing, walk into offices, talk to anybody, who knows where there's classified information. We're making the rules more like, say, the White House. Can you roam the White House wherever you want?
Peter Doocy: Typically, not without getting a Secret Service up in my grill.
Secretary Hegseth: Correct. So, we're just normalizing it. Yes, you can be in the press area. Briefing room. But if you want to move around the building, you're going to have a badge, it's going to be clear, you're going to be escorted, when you do so, we're going to have the expectation that you're not soliciting classified or sensitive information. I think that the American people see things like that as absolute common sense. The Pentagon press corps can squeal all they want. We're taking these things seriously. They can report. They just need to make sure they're following the rules.
Pete Hegseth has it right. The Pentagon media should, at a minimum, be treated the same way as the White House Press Corps. And in the event of an ongoing operation? When it's over, tell them who won.
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