Hegseth’s First Loyalty Test

The Trump Administration’s War on the Free Press

One America News Network (OANN) now stands alone in the Pentagon press pool, a hollowed-out remnant of what used to be a free and independent press corps. OANN, long the MAGA movement’s propaganda arm and chief apologist for Trumpism, was the only outlet willing to grovel before Pete Hegseth’s latest diktats. Once a Fox News personality known for empty bluster and televised grievance, Hegseth has now imported the worst instincts of right-wing infotainment into the Department of Defense where censorship and loyalty oaths have replaced transparency and accountability.

In response to critical coverage of his chaotic tenure as Secretary of Defense, Hegseth has rammed through a set of so-called “common-sense” guidelines that amount to an all-out assault on the First Amendment. Every story involving the Pentagon must now be pre-approved by Hegseth’s office. This includes not just reporting on potentially classified material, but any reporting on defense or national security. Journalists are …