Pentagon press office is now a classified area and off-limits to reporters

Source: Politico

Pete Hegseth has sought to inhibit media access to the Pentagon since he became defense secretary.

By AARON PELLISH and PAUL MCLEARY
06/01/2026 05:32 PM EDT

Journalists are no longer allowed in the Pentagon press office.

The office where journalists have long been able to seek information from military officials has been deemed a classified space and off-limits to the press to make room for speechwriters who handle sensitive material, the Defense Department said Monday.

"As a result, journalists will no longer be permitted to enter the office space," Joel Valdez, the acting press secretary, said in a statement. "There's nothing controversial about that."

Valdez pushed back at suggestions that the change reflected the latest attempt by the Pentagon under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to limit media access to the military's headquarters.

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Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/01/pentagon-classified-area-reporters-00945550