Hegseth Tries to Attack His Perceived Enemies. Is it failing?
On March 20, 2026, a federal judge ruled that the Pentagon’s press-access restrictions were unconstitutional and stopped them from being enforced, at least for now while any appeal proceeds.
U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman ruled that a new Pentagon policy limiting reporters’ access violated the U.S. Constitution.
The lawsuit was filed by The New York Times and one of its reporters after the Defense Department changed its press-credential rules. [APnews.com, David Bauder, December 4, 2026 – The New York Times sues the Pentagon over Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s media rules]
The policy had required journalists to sign an agreement restricting how they could seek information from military personnel and allowed the Pentagon to revoke credentials if reporters sought “unauthorized” information, even if it was unclassified.
Many major news outlets refused to sign the agreement and lost access to the Pentagon press corps.
The rules violated First Amendment press protections and Fifth Amendment due-process rights.
The court said the policy was too vague and allowed viewpoint discrimination—meaning the government could potentially exclude journalists whose coverage it disliked.
Press credentials for affected reporters were ordered restored. The Pentagon has said it plans to appeal the ruling.
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