WASHINGTON — The Pentagon on Friday announced sweeping new restrictions on journalists covering the Defense Department, requiring reporters to pledge they will not obtain or publish any information — even if unclassified — unless it has been expressly authorized by the government.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unveiled the new rules that would strictly limit the ability of journalists to report on the Pentagon, marking an unprecedented move that gives the military broad control over what media outlets can publish about defense matters.

The Trump administration said it will revoke the press credentials of journalists who do not comply with the new pledge requirements. The sweeping new rules to access the building prohibit “unprofessional conduct that might serve to disrupt Pentagon operations,” as well as “attempts to improperly obtain” classified or unclassified information deemed “controlled,” according to a memo released to reporters.

“The ‘press’ does not run the Pentagon — the people do,” Hegseth said in a post on X. “The press is no longer allowed to roam the halls of a secure facility. Wear a badge and follow the rules — or go home.”

The memo sent to press outlets outlines a crackdown on access to the building, where tens of thousands of military and civilian personnel work. Reporters who accept the new rules would still be able to access the building with an escort and a stated reason for the visit. It would mark the first time credentialed reporters from major news outlets would lose 24/7 access to unclassified spaces.

The new rules give the Pentagon wide latitude to label journalists as security threats and revoke press passes for those who obtain or publish information that the agency says is unfit for public release.

The restrictions represent a dramatic escalation in the Trump administration’s efforts to limit press access to the Pentagon. The Pentagon restrictions on media covering the military follow a series of moves by the Trump administration to curtail press access. In January, several major outlets including NBC News, The New York Times, NPR and Politico were told they must vacate their dedicated workspaces in the Pentagon as part of a new “annual media rotation program” for its in-house press corps. Hegseth also began requiring reporters to have an escort to walk through certain areas, even if the spaces are unclassified.  Under the new requirements, reporters would be prevented from walking to most areas outside the food court and would have to swap out their badges with bright red or orange passes.

The National Press Club swiftly condemned the restrictions, with President Mike Balsamo calling them “a direct assault on independent journalism at the very place where independent scrutiny matters most: the U.S. military.”

Balsamo warned that the changes would fundamentally alter the public’s access to information about military operations and spending.

“For generations, Pentagon reporters have provided the public with vital information about how wars are fought, how defense dollars are spent, and how decisions are made that put American lives at risk,” he said. “That work has only been possible because reporters could seek out facts without needing government permission.”

“If the news about our military must first be approved by the government, then the public is no longer getting independent reporting. It is getting only what officials want them to see,” the statement continued. “That should alarm every American.”

The Pentagon will also require reporters to sign a document pledging to protect “sensitive information,” likely setting up situations where unfavorable reporting involving documents could be used as pretense to strip journalists of access to the building.

The restrictions mark a significant departure from decades of Pentagon press operations, where journalists have traditionally been able to seek information and sources without explicit government authorization, as long as they followed established protocols for handling classified material.

It was not immediately clear how many news organizations would comply with the new pledge requirements or how the restrictions would affect ongoing Pentagon coverage.