Pete Hegseth has pledged to revoke the Pentagon access of major American news outlets unless they agree to a new compliance policy that challenges the principles of the First Amendment.

The Department of War has mandated that journalists with press credentials sign a new agreement preventing military staff from making ‘unauthorized disclosures’ to the press.

Reporters who don’t sign the new agreement have until 5pm Tuesday to forfeit their press badges and clean out their desks. 

Several major publications, including The Daily Mail, CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic, have refused to sign the agreement.

This policy restricts reporters’ communication with military contacts and states that persuading personnel to leak unauthorized information would not be protected by the First Amendment.

Reporters will also need an escort to access many parts of the Pentagon, and press passes can be revoked if they seek information not sanctioned by the Secretary of War.

This dramatic shift follows reports by the Daily Mail that Hegseth has been highly suspicious, firing staff for speaking to journalists and displaying intense reactions over fears for his personal security.

The policy conveys ‘an unprecedented message of intimidation’ for anyone in the Department of War who might want to speak to a reporter without the approval of Hegseth’s team, the Pentagon Press Association said. 

On Monday, The Associated Press, Reuters and conservative television station Newsmax also confirmed their reporters would also not sign. 

Newsmax, whose on-air journalists are generally supportive of the administration, said that ‘we believe the requirements are unnecessary and onerous and hope that the Pentagon will review the matter further.’

Reuters also issued a statement saying: ‘Reuters is bound by its commitment to accurate, impartial and independent news.

‘We steadfastly believe in the press protections afforded by the US Constitution, the unrestricted flow of information and journalism that serves the public interest without fear or favor. The Pentagon’s new restrictions erode these fundamental values.’ 

The opposing outlets say the policy threatens to punish them for routine news gathering protected by the First Amendment. 

Hegseth addressed the criticism surrounding the new policy, writing on X: ‘Pentagon access is a privilege, not a right.’

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the rules establish ‘common sense media procedures.’

‘The policy does not ask for them to agree, just to acknowledge that they understand what our policy is,’ Parnell said. 

‘This has caused reporters to have a full blown meltdown, crying victim online. We stand by our policy because it’s what’s best for our troops and the national security of this country.’

Pentagon reporters say signing the statement amounts to admitting that reporting any information that hasn’t been government-approved is harming national security.

‘That’s simply not true,’ said David Schulz, director of Yale University’s Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic.

Journalists have said they have long worn badges and do not access classified areas, nor do they report information that risks putting any Americans in harm’s way.

‘The Pentagon certainly has the right to make its own policies, within the constraints of the law,’ the Pentagon Press Association said on Monday. 

‘There is no need or justification, however, for it to require reporters to affirm their understanding of vague, likely unconstitutional policies as a precondition to reporting from Pentagon facilities.’

Critics have noted Hegseth’s crackdown on reporters comes after his own major blunder and security breach in March, when he released war plans in a Signal chat without realizing the editor of The Atlantic had been unintentionally added to the group.

Hegseth listed weapons systems and a timeline for the attack on Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen in the chat, but argued no classified information was shared.