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In a recent episode, Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” took a comedic jab at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, humorously conceding to his newly imposed press restrictions at the Pentagon. The show, known for its satirical take on current events, shared its tongue-in-cheek acceptance via a social media post.
“After serious consideration, The Daily Show has agreed to the Pentagon’s new demands regarding press access,” read the post, showcasing the show’s trademark wit. The post continued, “We were going to refuse, but everyone else rejected it so hard that it honestly made us feel kinda bad for Pete Hegseth.” This playful acknowledgment underscores the show’s unique approach to critiquing political moves and the broader media landscape.
Updated: Oct 16, 2025 / 10:29 AM EDT
(The Hill) — Comedy Central’s “Daily Show” poked fun at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday by mockingly agreeing to his new press restrictions at the Pentagon.
“After serious consideration, The Daily Show has agreed to the Pentagon’s new demands regarding press access,” the show said in a graphic posted on social media. “We were going to refuse, but everyone else rejected it so hard that it honestly made us feel kinda bad for Pete Hegseth.”
The statement went on to say of Hegseth, “the poor guy couldn’t even get Fox News to sign on and he worked for them a few months ago.”
“Even Newsmax refused. Brutal!” it said. “So we’re going to join in. Just so One America isn’t the only signature on this thing. It’s all just too humiliating.”
Hegseth and his department have faced massive pushback after rolling out a new policy this week severely limiting journalists’ access to the Pentagon and trying to control the information coming out of the building.
All of the nation’s major news organizations, including The Hill, have refused to sign the new policy, with a number of the major broadcast and cable news networks issuing a joint statement this week blasting the restrictions, calling it “without precedent” and saying it “threatens core journalistic protections.”
President Donald Trump defended Hegseth and the policy earlier this week, saying he “finds the press to be very disruptive in terms of world peace.”