Pete Kegseth is going to need an extra shot of tequila tonight to soothe his hurt fee fees after losing a big court case today regarding press access to the Pentagon. Here is what happened: In October 2025, Hegseth attempted to force news organizations to sign some sort of document related to their reporting, effectively limiting what they could say, even if the information was unclassified. That was a huge departure from previous administrations.
The policy led to dozens of journalists being effectively shut out of the Pentagon because they refused to sign the insane policy. Included in the exodus were the Washington Post and the New York Times. In their place, dozens of right wing and internet personalities signed and were granted journalist passes. Utter insanity.
Well, the New York Times and one of its reporters, Julian Barnes, SUED. And they won! A federal judge in DC on Friday struck down the Department of Defenses new policy, deeming it unconstitutional.
The judge referenced the war in Iran, stating that it is “more important than ever that the public have access to information from a variety of perspectives about what its government is doing.”
The DOJ had no comment, but Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell posted on twitter that they plan to appeal.
The New York Times were pleased with the ruling, saying in a statement: “Americans deserve visibility into how their government is being run, and the actions the military is taking in their name and with their tax dollar. Today’s ruling reaffirms the right of The Times and other independent media to continue to ask questions on the public’s behalf.”
Sunlight is the best form of disinfectant, which is exactly why Hegseth and Trump want to keep things hidden.