Newsmax Joins Major Media Outlets In Refusing Pentagon Rules

Pro-Trump cable news outlet Newsmax refused to sign a contract with the Secretary of War Pete Hegseth updated its press policy Monday, joining legacy media outlets that have denounced Hegseth's policies as press intimidation and a violation of the First Amendment.

Jeffrey Goldbergeditor-in-chief of the magazine Atlanticreleased a statement on Monday that said: “Atlantic journalists will not sign the Pentagon press policy. We fundamentally oppose the Trump administration's restrictions on journalists covering defense and national security issues.”

He added: “These demands violate our First Amendment rights and the rights of Americans who want to know how taxpayer-funded military resources and personnel are used. We will continue to report independently and fairly on defense, war and national security issues.”

Washington Post, CNNThe Guardian, The New York Times, and several defense departments also refused to sign Hegseth's new policy. The only major outlet to agree so far was the far-right One America News Network.

Media reporter Erik Wemple added that Newsmax would also be a disappointment to the administration, despite being a reliable Trump supporter. “Newsmax has no plans to sign the letter. We are working with other media outlets to resolve the situation. We believe the requirements are unnecessary and burdensome and hope the Pentagon will look into this issue further,” Wemple reported.

Hegseth The new policy prohibited Pentagon reporters from requesting or receiving any information that was not expressly authorized by the Department of Defense and gave reporters the opportunity to sign up for the policy until 5 p.m. Tuesday or lose access to the Pentagon for 24 hours. Hegseth is a former Fox News weekend morning show host who has been embroiled in several major scandals since taking over at the Pentagon, including discussions of military plans in a Signal chat group that included Goldberg.

Matt Murray executive editor of the magazine Washington Post, added on Monday statement“The proposed restrictions undermine First Amendment protections by placing unnecessary restrictions on the collection and publication of information. We will continue to vigorously and honestly report the policies and positions of the Pentagon and government officials.”

Below are some more responses to the Pentagon:

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