NEW YORK – In a surprising shift within the Pentagon’s media relations, Laura Loomer, a conservative activist and close confidante of President Donald Trump, has recently received credentials to report from the Pentagon’s press room, now largely devoid of traditional media personnel.

Loomer is known for her significant influence on social media and her direct line to Trump. She often advocates for the dismissal of government officials whom she believes are not sufficiently committed to the Trump administration’s agenda. Among her recent targets in the national security sector is Dan Driscoll, the Army’s secretary.

Attempts to reach Pentagon officials for comments on Tuesday were unsuccessful. The Washington Post initially broke the story about Loomer’s credential acquisition.

Last month, nearly all reporters from established media outlets vacated the Pentagon press room in protest of a new policy. They claim this policy limits their ability to report on news not pre-approved by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. In their absence, several conservative media outlets have filled the void, while the displaced journalists continue to cover Pentagon-related stories from outside.

Expressing her enthusiasm on X, formerly known as Twitter, Loomer stated, “I’m thrilled to announce my new role in the press corps after a year of exposing critical national security issues and identifying dishonest figures within the Defense Department.” She has not yet responded to further requests for comments.

Earlier this year, she criticized Driscoll for publicly honoring a Medal of Honor recipient who had previously spoken at a Democratic National Convention. Separately, Driscoll rescinded the appointment of a former Biden administration official to teach at West Point after Loomer attacked him for it.

Although Trump later downplayed Loomer’s influence, the president last spring fired a handful of National Security Council officials after she had presented him with evidence of their supposed disloyalty.

Still, she’s been a polarizing force among some in the administration, wary of her influence, which has included riding on Air Force One with Trump. Although granted space in the Pentagon press room, Loomer has not received reporting credentials at the White House. Loomer has also been criticized for entertaining conspiracy theories and making anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim posts.

“There is no denying that my investigative reporting has had a massive impact on the landscape of personnel decisions within the Executive Branch, our intelligence agencies and the Pentagon,” Loomer wrote on X. “I look forward to covering the Pentagon and breaking more stories that impact our country and our national security.”

In her social media post, she also reached out to people to alert her to news through “the Loomered Tip Line, the most influential Tip Line in all of DC.”

Phil Stewart, a national security reporter for Reuters, noted on a social media post Tuesday that Hegseth’s new media policy would make reporters subject to having their access revoked for seeking out information from Defense Department personnel that had not been authorized for release.

However, Loomer’s appeal for tips did not explicitly target people who work at the Defense Department.

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David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social