‘Pete Hegseth Has United the Media!’ Only One Outlet Has Agreed to Pentagon’s New Press Rules as Fox News, CNN and More Refuse to Comply

Pete Hegseth‘s Defense Department has issued warnings to news organizations regarding the revocation of press credentials if they fail to comply with new, stringent coverage guidelines. Furthermore, journalists who do not consent to these rules may be prohibited from accessing the Pentagon’s premises. In response, over three dozen news organizations have declared their refusal to accept these demands.

On Tuesday, five leading television news channels — ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, and NBC News — issued a united statement rejecting the new regulations. The Pentagon has informed reporters that they must endorse the agreement concerning the new guidelines by Tuesday, or they must surrender their press credentials by Wednesday.

The guidelines, outlined by the Defense Department’s press office last month, mandate that journalists covering the Pentagon must agree not to acquire or utilize unauthorized materials, even if such information is not classified. Failure to adhere to this pledge could result in being barred from the Pentagon.

“In unison with nearly every other news organization, we decline to abide by the Pentagon’s new stipulations, which threaten the essential role of journalists in providing crucial national security updates to both the nation and the global community,” said the networks in their statement. “This policy is unprecedented and undermines fundamental journalistic protections. Each of our organizations will persist in covering the U.S. military as we have for many years, upholding the principles of an independent and free press.”

The five networks align with numerous other outlets that have already voiced their opposition to the regulations proposed by Hegseth, a former Fox News figure. Among those refusing to comply are the New York Times, AP, Reuters, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Politico, NewsNation, and the Hill, alongside conservative outlets like Newsmax and the Washington Examiner.

As of the time of writing, only one organization has expressed intent to adhere to the new rules enacted by the Pentagon, which the Trump administration has now dubbed the “U.S. Department of War”: the pro-Trump network One America News Network (OANN).

“Pete Hegseth has rallied the media! Fox stands with the rest of legacy media in opposing his extreme policy of press censorship,” Chuck Todd, former host of NBC’s “Meet the Press” and current host of “The Chuck ToddCast,” noted in a post on X. “Congratulations or something.”

It should be noted that Fox News has previously opposed Trump’s aggressive policies and actions towards the press. Back in 2018, Fox News supported CNN’s efforts to reinstate Jim Acosta’s White House credentials, which were restored shortly after by Trump’s administration. (Acosta departed CNN earlier this year following Trump’s second-term inauguration.) “While we do not endorse the rising adversarial stance taken by both the president and the press in recent media interactions, we affirm our support for a free press, access, and transparent dialogue for the American populace,” Fox News president Jay Wallace stated in a previous statement.

Here is the updated comprehensive list of news organizations that have expressed their refusal to sign the Pentagon’s new regulations, as compiled by the Washington Post: