Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took questions exclusively from conservative news outlets during his first Pentagon press conference in six months Tuesday, as he defended himself against an impeachment effort and reporters faced warnings that they could be physically removed for disruptive behavior.
The briefing highlighted the Pentagon’s increasingly contentious relationship with the press. New York Times correspondent Helene Cooper and Washington Post reporter Tara Copp were among the journalists present but were not called on to ask questions.
Hegseth fielded questions from reporters at One America News Network, Real America’s Voice, The Daily Wire, The Daily Signal, Fox News and The Washington Times.
The questions were not uniformly friendly. Fox News correspondent Lucas Tomlinson asked whether Hegseth agreed with Vice President JD Vance that the Iran war was a major reason Republicans lost the midterm elections.
“I respect the vice president greatly, and I’m certainly not going to exchange any finger-pointing,” Hegseth replied, adding that “politics is not really my thing.” He defended the war as a necessary military operation intended to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Real America’s Voice reporter David Zere took a more sympathetic approach, asking what message it sent to American allies when U.S. politicians criticized military operations targeting suspected drug traffickers. Hegseth welcomed the question and defended the administration’s campaign against cartels.
Before Hegseth took the podium, a security agent warned journalists they could be physically removed if they failed to maintain decorum, according to The Washington Post. Reporters asked whether shouting questions could lead to removal but received no answer.
Hegseth political staffer Joel Valdez subsequently offered to explain the rules only off the record, the Post reported. When reporters objected, Valdez walked away. No journalists were removed.
Daily Wire correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan, who was among those Hegseth called on, offered a different account on X, saying officials had clarified that aggressive questioning alone would not be grounds for removal.
The tension surfaced again when a female reporter shouted, “Mr. Secretary, are Iran war losses your fault?” as Hegseth began taking questions. He raised his hand and responded, “Excuse me,” cutting her off, according to Mediaite.
Hegseth’s appearance came a day after outgoing Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky introduced eight articles of impeachment accusing him of constitutional violations and abuses of power. The defense secretary dismissed the effort as a political stunt, arguing that his critics were attacking lawful military operations. President Donald Trump publicly defended Hegseth and praised his performance following the briefing.
The Pentagon’s restrictions on journalists have been the subject of a prolonged legal battle. Dozens of news organizations surrendered their Pentagon credentials last year rather than accept new limits on gathering information, while The New York Times separately challenged the department’s press policies in court.
As TheWrap previously reported, the Pentagon announced additional restrictions in March after a federal judge ruled its earlier policy unconstitutional, including closing the longstanding press workspace and requiring journalists to have escorts inside the building. A judge subsequently struck down the revised rules in April.
Tuesday’s briefing highlighted a distinction in the Pentagon’s ongoing battle over press access: which journalists can attend, and which get the opportunity to question the defense secretary.
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