President Trump on Sunday appeared to break with the Pentagon over its recent efforts to restrict what the media can report on but shrugged off the potential effects.
The Hill asked Trump, as he departed the White House for Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, whether the Pentagon should be in charge of deciding what journalists can report on.
“No, I don’t think so. Nothing stops reporters. You know that,” Trump responded.
The Pentagon unveiled new restrictions on reporters covering the Defense Department (DOD) on Friday, asking them to pledge not to publish information that the administration has not authorized or risk losing access to the building.
The move is part of an effort by the Trump administration to help quash leaks to the media and continue imposing restrictions on news outlets. In Friday’s announcement, the Pentagon also said that it would limit the allowed movement of reporters within the building, marking large areas unavailable unless journalists have escorts.
The National Press Club (NPC) characterized the changes as a “direct assault on independent journalism at the very place where independent scrutiny matters most: the U.S. military.”
