Court revives Pentagon’s ban on reporters having unescorted access

A federal appeals court on Monday allowed the Pentagon to reinstate its ban on journalists being able to enter the building without an escort, marking the latest in a back-and-forth battle between Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the press.

After the Pentagon moved to restrict access for news outlets that refused to abide by new government reporting rules, a judge struck it down. The Pentagon then announced a broader ban on all journalists entering the main building without an escort, citing safety reasons.

The lower court judge said that the new ban violated his initial order — but the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said that’s not true. It said the broader ban was a new policy that should have been treated as such by the lower court.

Statement from Pentagon spokesman:

“The Department of War welcomes the D.C. Circuit’s decision to stay the district court’s order requiring unescorted press access to the Pentagon while the appeal proceeds.

The court credited the Department’s evidence that unescorted access to the Pentagon was a significant contributing factor in the regular unauthorized disclosure of sensitive and classified national defense information — including operational plans and intelligence assessments — which occurred often monthly and sometimes multiple times per month. Since implementing the current access policy, the Department has seen a meaningful reduction in these unauthorized disclosures, which when they occur can endanger the lives of service members, intelligence personnel, and our allies.

Credentialed journalists continue to hold valid press credentials and retain access to Pentagon briefings, press conferences, and interviews.

𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁’𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺 — 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀.

The Department looks forward to presenting its full case to the D.C. Circuit on the merits.”

Who do these people think they are? When I was in the AF and worked at the Pentagon and based at Bolling in the mid-80s, we had to have clearances and a badge to get in the building to have any sort of unescorted access. And that was just for the hallways. The offices, suites, the 7th Comm Group in the basement and parking spaces were whole other issues...

“Who do these people think they are? When I was in the AF and worked at the Pentagon and based at Bolling in the mid-80s, we had to have clearances and a badge to get in the building to have any sort of unescorted access. And that was just for the hallways. The offices, suites, the 7th Comm Group in the basement and parking spaces were whole other issues...”

I was shocked they had the gall to file the case in the first place. Why would journalists think they should have unfettered access to Pentagon offices?

And in yet another win for Trump today,

""The First Amendment enshrines the right of the people to peacefully protest our government’s policies. But the First Amendment does not protect vandalism, criminal trespass, or obstruction of law enforcement." Another President Trump win, defending Portland by Judge Lee".

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