Pentagon Names 60+ Right‑Wing Press Corps

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s new, restrictive Pentagon press policy prompted most legacy outlets to turn in credentials and leave the building rather than accept rules they say would limit reporting. The Pentagon announced a “next generation” press corps of more than 60 journalists and independent outlets who agreed to the policy, a move publicized by chief spokesperson Sean Parnell on X; the department did not publish a full list. Several right‑wing and pro‑Trump sites and personalities have been named or identified themselves as signees — including LindellTV, The Gateway Pundit, Human Events, The Post Millennial, The National Pulse, Tim Pool/Timcast and Turning Point USA’s Frontlines. Critics say the corps is dominated by MAGA‑aligned outlets and conspiracy‑promoting figures, some with recent defamation judgments or controversial records, and have condemned the shift as government‑aligned propaganda. Journalists warned the policy bars soliciting or releasing information not approved by the Defense Department even if unclassified, which they say could chill or criminalize national‑security reporting and prompted bipartisan backlash and refusals to sign by outlets including Fox, Newsmax, AP, The New York Times and The Washington Post.