"A dark day": Pentagon confiscates badges of Defense reporters
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Pentagon reporters walk out of the building carrying their belongings on Wednesday. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images.
Nearly every Pentagon reporter from almost every major media outlet in America turned in their press badges Thursday, after refusing to endorse the Defense Department's new rules that they say would make it impossible to do their jobs independently.
Why it matters: Press groups say the unprecedented restrictions contravene the First Amendment and echo a concerning trend of press freedoms under attack by the Trump administration.
What they're saying: "Today, the Defense Department confiscated the badges of the Pentagon reporters from virtually every major media organization in America," the Pentagon Press Association said in a statement on Thursday.
- "The Pentagon Press Association's members are still committed to reporting on the U.S. military," they wrote.
- "But make no mistake, today, Oct. 15, 2025 is a dark day for press freedom that raises concerns about a weakening U.S. commitment to transparency in governance, to public accountability at the Pentagon and to free speech for all."
- The Defense Department did not immediately respond to Axios' Thursday evening request for comment.
Driving the news: The Pentagon announced the new restrictions last month, and gave newsrooms until Tuesday to commit to adhering to them.
- Media companies broadly rejected the pledge, claiming it would criminalize national security reporting and expose those who sign the contract to potential prosecution.
- Outlets including Axios, Fox News, NBC, ABC, CNN, NPR, AP, the Washington Post and the New York Times said they would not sign the pledge, while the conservative cable network One America News (OAN), indicated that it would sign it.
Of note: A collection of defense-oriented trade newspapers issued a joint statement condemning the rules on Wednesday, including the Military Times, Defense News, Aviation Week, Breaking Defense, Defense Daily, Defense One, Inside Defense and USNI News.
The other side: "We stand by our policy because it's what's best for our troops and the national security of this country," said Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell in an emailed statement Thursday evening.
Go deeper: News outlets broadly reject Pentagon's new press rules
