Most Pentagon press corps forfeits badges rather than sign new rules
At least 30 news organizations, including nearly every major U.S. outlet, gave up their Pentagon press badges in mid-October 2025 rather than sign the new pre-publication pledge; only One America News accepted the rules.1
What happened
Beginning around October 15, 2025, reporters from at least 30 news organizations, including ABC News, NBC News, CBS News, Fox News, CNN, the Associated Press, Reuters, Bloomberg News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, NPR and Politico, vacated the Pentagon press workspace rather than sign the new credentialing pledge, with a deadline to remove belongings by October 17. One America News Network was reported as the only major outlet to accept the new terms. Military Times and Defense News, among the outlets that declined to sign, said the policy "threatens to punish reporters who ask legitimate questions in the course of their daily work."213
The New York Times sued the Department of Defense on December 4, 2025. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman ruled on March 20, 2026 that the credential-revocation provisions violated constitutional protections and ordered credentials restored for seven Times journalists. The Pentagon issued revised restrictions, and on April 9, 2026 Friedman found the revision was still, in his words, "an unlawful policy" dressed up as new action; the Pentagon appealed. Most other outlets continued to cover the Pentagon from outside the building as of 2026-09-22.3
What reason was given
Not stated separately from the justification for the underlying rules (see pentagon-issues-new-press-credentialing-rules): the Pentagon framed the badge requirement as necessary to prevent leaks of sensitive information.213
What changed for reporting
Nearly the entire Pentagon press corps lost routine building access, ending on-site, in-person reporting from the Pentagon press workspace for most major U.S. outlets.2
Timeline
2025
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Pete Hegseth | enforced | United States Secretary of Defense |
| United States Department of Defense | enforced | Federal executive department |
Outlets and journalists
| Name | Kind | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| ABC News | outlet | affected |
| CBS News | outlet | affected |
| Military Times / Defense News | outlet | affected |
| The Associated Press | outlet | affected |
Sources
- live, blocks automated checks Pentagon press restrictions: what outlets are doing
- live 2025 Pentagon press pass forfeiture archived
Claims cited
- Reporters began vacating the Pentagon press workspace rather than sign the new rules, with a deadline of 2025-10-17 to remove belongings.
On October 15, reporters began vacating the press room at the Pentagon removing computer servers, furniture, television screens, soundproofing equipment and other items.
2025 Pentagon press pass forfeiture archived, Wikipedia. live Claim 93, checked 2026-09-22. - Nearly all major U.S. news organizations forfeited their Pentagon badges rather than sign the pledge.
This policy threatens to punish reporters who ask legitimate questions in the course of their daily work.
2025 Pentagon press pass forfeiture archived, Wikipedia. live Claim 5, checked 2026-09-22. - No mass reinstatement of Pentagon credentials has been reported.
The court imposed a permanent injunction, and ordered the restoration of press credentials and access for the New York Times journalists.
2025 Pentagon press pass forfeiture archived, Wikipedia. live Claim 94, checked 2026-09-22.