Newsmax Joins Major Media Outlets In Refusing to Sign Onto Pete Hegseth’s Press Restrictions

AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

Pro-Trump cable news outlet Newsmax refused to sign Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s updated press policy on Monday, joining legacy media outlets that condemned Hegseth’s policy as press intimidation and a violation of the First Amendment.

Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor in chief of The Atlantic, put out a statement on Monday saying, “The Atlantic’s journalists will not sign the Pentagon’s press policy. We fundamentally oppose the restrictions that the Trump administration is imposing on journalists who are reporting on matters of defense and national security.”

He added, “The requirements violate our First Amendment rights, and the rights of Americans who seek to know how taxpayer- funded military resources and personnel are being deployed. We will continue to cover matters of defense, war, and national security independently and fairly.”

The Washington Post, CNN, The Guardian, The New York Times, and several defense outlets all refused to sign onto Hegseth’s new policy as well. Far-right One America News Network was the only major outlet so far to agree.

Media reporter Erik Wemple added that Newsmax would also disappoint the administration, despite being a reliable Trump booster. “Newsmax has no plans to sign the letter. We are working in conjunction with other media outlets to resolve the situation. We believe the requirements are unnecessary and onerous and hope that the Pentagon with review the matter further,” the outlet told Wemple.

Hegseth’s new policy banned Pentagon reporters from asking for or obtaining any information that is not explicitly authorized by the Department of Defense and gave reporters until Tuesday at 5 p.m. to sign on to the policy or lose their access to the Pentagon within 24 hours. Hegseth is a former Fox News weekend morning show host who has been embroiled in several major scandals since taking over the Pentagon, including discussing war plans in a Signal chat group, which included Goldberg.

Matt Murray, the executive editor of the Washington Post, added in a Monday statement, “The proposed restrictions undercut First Amendment protections by placing unnecessary constraints on gathering and publishing information. We will continue to vigorously and fairly report on the policies and positions of the Pentagon and officials across the government.”

UPDATE: As of Tuesday morning, all other major outlets had also refused to sign the pledge, including Fox News, The Hill, Reuters, The Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, NewsNation, Politico, Axios, MSNBC, and many others.

Below are some more responses to the Pentagon:

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