The mistrust between the Biden administration and the media seems to be at a fever pitch, and that has extended to the Pentagon, according to a recent memo.

News media will no longer be allowed to roam the corridors of the Pentagon without official approval and without a department escort under strict new rules announced this week by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

Following several leaks, Secretary Hegseth issued the orders in a memorandum on Friday, stating that they were needed to prevent the release of secret military information. According to the memo:

"While the Department remains committed to transparency, the Department is equally committed to protect CSNI [classified sensitive national intelligence] and sensitive information — the unauthorized disclosure of which could put the lives of U.S. service members in danger."

New restricted areas

Press offices for the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Space Force, as well as the Defense Secretary and his top aids, are restricted.

The memo went so far as to prohibit reporters from entering the building's athletic center.

According to a report by Fox News, Hegseth's order will also force members of the Pentagon press corps to sign a paper confirming that they are responsible for protecting classified material.

Additionally, new badges that clearly identify journalists as members of the press will be distributed to members of the media.

Pushback

The order drew immediate criticism from the Pentagon Press Association, a membership group that represents the press corps covering the U.S. military.

The group issued a statement, saying that "The decision is purportedly based on concerns about operational security.

"But the Pentagon Press Corps has had access to non-secured, unclassified spaces in the Pentagon for decades, under Republican and Democratic administrations, including in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, without any concern about OP-SEC [operations security] from DoD leadership."

The National Press Club also condemned the new rules, saying the order “curtails opportunities to engage with officials” and “raises serious concerns about transparency, oversight, and the public’s right to know.”

The leadup

A number of reforms, including Hegseth's new regulations, have started with the incoming Trump administration.

The Pentagon ordered the departure of many long-standing press organizations from their offices in February. These legacy outlets include Politico, the New York Times, CNN, NPR, and The Washington Post.

The change is a component of a new rotating system that aims to incorporate additional news outlets that the Trump administration views as providing more balanced coverage. These include the Daily Caller, One America News Network, the New York Post, and Breitbart.