The New York Times and the Washington Post learned that the United States was planning a secret military raid in Venezuela shortly before it began, but delayed publishing after administration officials warned that doing so could endanger American troops, Semafor reported, citing two people familiar with the communications.
The decision to withhold reporting reflects a longstanding practice in American journalism of delaying publication of sensitive national security information when officials argue that American military lives are at risk. The cooperation comes amid an unusually hostile relationship between President Trump and much of the national news media.
The raid, approved by Trump at 10:46 p.m. Friday, resulted in the capture of Venezuela president Nicolás Maduro. Trump and senior members of his administration publicly praised the operation Saturday, citing its secrecy and the absence of U.S. casualties.
“The coordination, the stealth, the precision, the very long arm of American justice — all on display in the middle of the night,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said.
Hegseth did not reference the role played by news organizations in maintaining secrecy during the operation. He did, however, give several interviews – the first with the inaugural “CBS Evening News” broadcast with new anchor Tony Dokoupil – in the hours that followed.
Unlike some countries, the United States does not have a legal mechanism allowing the government to block publication of classified or sensitive information before it is reported via official channels. Any delay in publication is voluntary and typically based on discussions between editors and government officials.
Trump’s antagonistic stance toward the media has been a defining feature of both his first and second administrations, with tensions particularly pronounced at the Pentagon. New policies imposed last year forced several news organizations to vacate long-held press spaces inside the Defense Department, tightening access and limiting on-site reporting.
Leaks involving national security matters — both intentional and inadvertent — have fueled some of the most intense media controversies of Trump’s current term.
The decision by U.S. news outlets to delay publication aligns with earlier instances in which journalists agreed to withhold sensitive information. The Times, for example, delayed reporting on aspects of the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 and postponed publication of a story on warrantless surveillance during the George W. Bush administration after officials warned of potential harm.
More recently, U.S. media organizations held back reporting last year that the United States was negotiating a prisoner exchange with Russia involving Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.
The post NYT, WaPo Knew of Venezuela Raid Before It Happened but Delayed Publishing Over Security Concerns appeared first on TheWrap.
