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Pentagon to Host 'New Media Week' for Handpicked Pro‑Trump Press Corps

The Pentagon will host a three-day "New Media Week" from Dec. 1–3, inviting a selective pro‑Trump press corps that agreed to a new, restrictive Pentagon media policy. Attendees include conservative outlets and influencers such as Tim Pool and Laura Loomer, who confirmed she will attend. Critics say the policy aims to curb leaks and limit independent reporting; supporters say it is necessary to protect military secrets. The invitation follows earlier leaks and a walkout by longtime Pentagon reporters opposed to the new rules.

01:42 PM, 11/30/2025Politics
Pentagon to Host 'New Media Week' for Handpicked Pro‑Trump Press Corps

The Department of Defense will host a three-day "New Media Week" from Dec. 1–3, inviting a selective group of pro‑Trump outlets and influencers to collect Pentagon press credentials and meet senior officials, including a rare on‑camera scrum with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The organizers describe the invitees as a self-styled 'newMAGA press corps.' Invitations reportedly include far‑right sites, conservative activist groups and prominent right‑leaning influencers such as Tim Pool and Laura Loomer. Loomer confirmed on social media that she will attend and said she was very excited to take part.

The event follows a contentious change to DOD press rules introduced in September that barred journalists from publishing material not cleared for release by the Pentagon. Most mainstream outlets declined to sign the policy; those that accepted its terms now make up the invited press pool. Supporters argue the restrictions are needed to protect classified information and operational security; critics counter that the rules suppress leaks and limit independent reporting.

Secretary Hegseth, a former television host, pledged earlier in the year that the department would help create a more transparent administration. In practice, his public briefings have been limited: his last on‑camera press briefing occurred on June 26, and he has largely appeared in sympathetic profile interviews.

The policy change prompted protests from career Pentagon reporters, many of whom staged a walkout in October rather than comply with the new terms. The controversy came after several high‑profile disclosures earlier in the year, including a memo attributed to Hegseth's brother proposing an increased domestic military presence and internal assessments of U.S. strikes in Iran.

Officials defending the policy characterize it as a common‑sense measure to safeguard operational details. Opponents warn it could create a filtered press environment that weakens independent oversight of military policy and leadership.

Very excited for New Media week at the Pentagon this week. I am really looking forward to being a member of the Pentagon Press Corp. I have so many questions and reports I’ve been waiting to break and follow up on! — Laura Loomer

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