Pentagon officials on June 1 said the press office has been reclassified as a restricted area and is off-limits to journalists, a change first reported by unnamed sources and confirmed by Acting Defense Department press secretary Joel Valdes on social media. Valdes said speechwriters for Defense Secretary Hegseth work in the office, frequently handle classified material and use the military's secure networks, making the space sensitive and subject to exclusion. The press office had previously be

Pentagon officials on June 1 said the press office has been reclassified as a restricted area and is off-limits to journalists, a change first reported by unnamed sources and confirmed by Acting Defense Department press secretary Joel Valdes on social media. Valdes said speechwriters for Defense Secretary Hegseth work in the office, frequently handle classified material and use the military's secure networks, making the space sensitive and subject to exclusion. The press office had previously been open to reporters without Defense Department escorts and hosted briefings; the change may reduce reporters' opportunities to interview Pentagon spokespeople.