Fox News, the former employer of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has joined a near-unanimous outpouring of news organizations rejecting new rules for journalists based in the Pentagon, the AP reports. Fox signed on to a statement with ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN saying they would not agree to Hegseth's new rules, saying "the policy is without precedent and threatens core journalistic protections." So far, only the conservative One America News Network has said its reporters would follow the new regulations. Hegseth has said that outlets who don't agree to the new rules by the end of Tuesday, which restrict reporting on news not specifically approved by his team, will be evicted from the Pentagon on Wednesday.
Other outlets including the AP, Reuters, NPR, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, and even the conservative Newsmax have similarly rejected the new rules. "The Pentagon's new press policy undermines the First Amendment and AP's core values as an independent global news organization," the AP said in its statement. "The restrictions impede the public's access to information about their government and limit the people's right to know. AP remains focused on continuing to produce strong independent coverage of the Pentagon in the public interest."
The rejection by Fox, by far the most popular television outlet for fans of President Trump, is a significant step. Hegseth worked as a weekend host at Fox before Trump selected him as his defense secretary. He's one of several familiar Fox faces now working for Trump, including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Jeanine Pirro, US attorney for the District of Columbia. The news organizations who have rejected the rules all say they will continue covering the US military, even without being permitted on the Pentagon grounds. Barring a change from either side, the case looks to be headed for court.