Hegseth’s First Loyalty Test The Trump Administration’s War on the Free Press Alexander Vindman Oct 16 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 forbidden from moving unescorted through the building, and even a simple request for comment can be deemed “a threat to national security” and grounds for blacklisting. It is less a media policy than a loyalty purge and an attempt to stamp out dissent, conceal incompetence, and shield Hegseth from the scrutiny he so clearly fears. This is not “common sense.” It is cowardice cloaked in patriotism and the reflex of a man allergic to criticism and desperate to project control. Even Fox News, Hegseth’s old employer and one of the administration’s most reliable allies, balked at his ultimatum and refused to comply. When Fox News won’t follow your orders, you’ve gone well past the bounds of normal Republican sycophancy and straight into strongman territory. What Hegseth calls “orderly communication” is, in truth, the first step in dismantling the free press, a move straight from the autocrat’s playbook. These policies mirror those of Russia and China, where “national security” is the universal excuse for silencing the truth. Make no mistake: this is Trump’s loyalty test for the American media and Hegseth is the enforcer. The intent is obvious: to transform a free press into a compliant press, and to turn journalists into stenographers for power. The United States was founded on the premise that no man - not even the president, not even his handpicked propagandists - stands above public scrutiny. Attempts to muzzle the press and to bend it to the will of the executive are an affront to every American who still believes in democracy. The First Amendment was written precisely for moments like this: to defend truth from power and protect the public from those who would prefer they remain blind. I applaud the media organizations that have refused to submit to these gag orders. The Pentagon is not the property of the Trump administration, and journalism is not a crime. Hegseth’s attempt to smother the truth will be short lived, and reversed under his own or a successor’s stewardship. But it is a reminder - loud and clear - that the battle for America’s freedom of the press has come home. Why It Matters is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.