There are yet more headlines and indications that the United States is edging dangerously close to being a dictatorship.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth set out new rules for reporters covering the Pentagon. The rules came down to this basic idea: too much criticism is unacceptable and will not be tolerated any longer.
In other words, censorship by controlling the media narrative.
While it has been both disheartening and depressing to watch too many people bend their knees to this Trump administration far too often, there was a refreshing change earlier this week. Dozens of reporters from various news outlets decided to turn in their press access badges rather than accept the new restrictions imposed by Pete Hegseth's Department of Defense, or the War Department, as he and Trump want it to be called.
The Trump White House officially stated that the new rules are simply “common sense” designed to keep a “very disruptive” press under control. For once, the media is actually fighting back in what may be a meaningful way. Even FOX News was opposed to the new restrictions, and that's saying something.
Here's a snippet from an article by David Bauder of the Associated Press which kind of sums up the situation (see link to article below):
News outlets were nearly unanimous in rejecting new rules imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that would leave journalists vulnerable to expulsion if they sought to report on information — classified or otherwise — that had not been approved by Hegseth for release.
Many of the reporters waited to leave together at a 4 p.m. deadline set by the Defense Department to get out of the building. As the hour approached, boxes of documents lined a Pentagon corridor and reporters carried chairs, a copying machine, books and old photos to the parking lot from suddenly abandoned workspaces. Shortly after 4, about 40 to 50 journalists left together after handing in badges.
Finally, something resembling real resistance. They are literally putting their jobs aside in order to stand up to something intolerable that this Trump regime is imposing (or trying to).
Of course, the White House is not backing down. At least not so far. Here, according to the same article, is a little bit more of a response on this issue by none other than President Trump, who clearly intends to back up Hegseth and have this be part of the trademark disruptive nature (at least towards democracy and freedom of speech and of the press) of this particular administration::
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump backed his defense secretary’s new rules. “I think he finds the press to be very disruptive in terms of world peace,” Trump said. “The press is very dishonest.”
Now that's rich. Trump calling anyone dishonest. Has their ever in the history of the world been an individual who has such an extensive and well-documented history of lying than Donald Trump? Even from decades before he ever decided to run for the White House, Trump was known for lying, lying, lying. Even many of his political allies have conceded that Trump is dishonest and cannot be trusted, on issues both big and small.
Give me a break.
These new rules are new. Yet in a sense, they are actually in keeping with how the White House, and Pete Hegseth in particular in this case, have been handling things:
Even before issuing his new press policy, Hegseth, a former Fox News Channel host, has systematically choked off the flow of information. He’s held only two formal press briefings, banned reporters from accessing many parts of the sprawling Pentagon without an escort and launched investigations into leaks to the media.
He has called his new rules “common sense” and said the requirement that journalists sign a document outlining the rules means they acknowledge the new rules, not necessarily agree to them. Journalists see that as a distinction without a difference.
“What they’re really doing, they want to spoon-feed information to the journalist, and that would be their story. That’s not journalism,” said Jack Keane, a retired U.S. Army general and Fox News analyst, said on Hegseth’s former network.
Now, there is no way to know for certain how this is going to end. However, I applaud the press this time around. Again, they often have helped Trump in particular, and his administrations in general, get away with one thing after another. It is refreshing to learn that apparently, even they have their limits.
After all, we are talking about our democracy (what's left of it) being preserved and surviving this horrific regime currently in the White House.
Below is the link to the article which I used in writing this particular blog entry, and from which I obtained the quotes used above:
Journalists turn in access badges, exit Pentagon rather than agree to new reporting rules DAVID BAUDER Updated Wed, October 15, 2025
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/journalists-turn-access-badges-exit-202714163.html
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