In a pointed critique of the evolving media landscape in Washington, former White House press secretary Jen Psaki has publicly questioned the legitimacy of the newly credentialed press corps at the Pentagon. Speaking Thursday on “The Late Show” with host Stephen Colbert, Psaki, who now hosts a program on MS NOW, expressed her astonishment at the changes that have reshaped media access to the Department of Defense.
The controversy centers on a policy revision implemented in October by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Under the new rules, journalists seeking to obtain or renew a Pentagon press pass must sign a contractual agreement. This contract stipulates that any information gathered from the Defense Department, “even if it is considered unclassified,” must be “approved for public release” by a department official before it can be reported.
This requirement triggered a major standoff with established news organizations. Psaki noted that most of the nation’s top media outlets, including traditionally conservative-leaning organizations like Fox News and Newsmax, declined to sign the restrictive pledge. As a consequence, they have lost their long-held press access and dedicated desk space within the Pentagon.
In their place, the administration has granted credentials to a number of conservative influencers and figures known for their pro-Trump viewpoints. Among them are Laura Loomer and James O’Keefe, figures Psaki singled out in her television appearance. “I could not get over — they had ‘the press corps,’ I’m going to put them in quotes because it includes Laura Loomer and James O’Keefe and this crew is not a real press corps,” she stated, using air quotes for emphasis. Many of the newly credentialed individuals have no prior experience covering the defense beat or attending in-person press briefings.
The practical effect of this shift was on display earlier in the week when Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson held a rare briefing. The session took place as Secretary Hegseth and the Defense Department face mounting scrutiny over rising tensions with Venezuela and recent U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean. The question-and-answer session featured the new cohort of credentialed personalities, including Loomer, O’Keefe, and former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz. Gaetz, who departed from Congress last year and later withdrew his name from consideration for attorney general, inquired about the potential role of the U.S. in Venezuela. Loomer questioned Wilson about the Trump administration’s decision to assist in training Qatar’s military pilots to fly fighter jets.
Psaki characterized the outcome of the briefing as unproductive. “They had a press briefing with them, where they could ask anything they wanted, and they made no news, no news at all, which is pretty remarkable,” she told Colbert.
Conversely, she lauded the work of the legacy media outlets that have been shut out. “But I will say, what’s encouraging to me at least, is all of the outlets that did not sign the pledge, that no longer have desks in the Pentagon, they have been making tons of news, they have been reporting,” Psaki added, defending the established press.
The conflict has now moved into the legal arena. The New York Times announced on Thursday that it is suing the Department of Defense over the new access rules. The lawsuit argues that the updated press policy infringes upon journalists’ rights under the First and Fifth Amendments of the Constitution. The legal filing contends that the restrictions on reporting unclassified information are a form of prior restraint and “will deprive the public of vital information about the United States military and its leadership.”
President Trump has staunchly defended Secretary Hegseth’s policy changes, framing them as a necessary measure to control a disruptive and untrustworthy media. “I think he finds the press to be very disruptive in terms of world peace,” the president remarked to reporters at the White House in October, shortly after the rules were announced. “The press is very dishonest.”
The pressure on Hegseth is compounded by a separate issue. A watchdog report released on Thursday found that the Pentagon chief had violated department policy and potentially endangered troops by using his personal cell phone and the Signal messaging app to share classified information earlier this year. This finding has intensified questions about the secretary’s judgment and adherence to established security protocols, adding another layer of complexity to the ongoing scrutiny of his leadership at the Defense Department.