The Trump administration is smothering press freedom and the public's right to know
commentary
The Trump administration is smothering press freedom and the public's right to know
Published
July 16, 2026 9:00AM (EDT)
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's attempts to control what media report about the Defense Department are illegal and will…
US defense secretary says taskforce will ‘combat dangers’ of leaks in latest escalation of White House press crackdown
Daily on Defense: Hegseth defangs Stars and Stripes, Trump seeks to muzzle think tank, Bessent vows ‘single greatest financial…
The military paper has served troops and their families for generations and Congress protects its independence
The Trump administration has launched a new crackdown on unauthorized leaks, with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announcing a…
Secretary Pete Hegseth says a new Pentagon task force will investigate leaks and expand efforts to identify and prosecute leakers.
