Dozens of reporters have chosen to hand in their press badges and leave the Pentagon rather than agree to new credentialing requirements that press freedom groups say would severely limit what information can be reported.  

Pictures surfaced on social media showing reporters lined up waiting to turn in their press badges on Wednesday evening. 

ABC News’s chief Washington correspondent, Jonathan Karl, wrote on X, “The journalists who cover the Pentagon had to choose today between signing a pledge that would make it impossible to do independent journalism and turning in their Pentagon press badges. Almost all of them turned in their badges and left the building.”

The decision to hand over the press badges comes as the Pentagon implemented new rules restricting what information journalists could report. Under the new terms, reporters would have to agree not to obtain or publish unauthorized material, regardless of whether it is classified or not. 

All but one outlet, One America News Network, publicly refused to agree to the new terms. On Tuesday, the five major broadcasters – NBC News, ABC News, CBS News, CNN, and Fox News Media – said in a joint statement that they would not agree to the new rules.

“The policy is without precedent and threatens core journalistic protections. We will continue to cover the U.S. military as each of our organizations has done for many decades, upholding the principles of a free and independent press,” the networks said. 

Other major outlets, such as the Associated Press and the Wall Street Journal, said they would not agree to the rules.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth gave reporters a deadline of Tuesday afternoon to agree to the requirements, with the threat of being forced to hand over their press badges and leave the Pentagon on Wednesday evening. 

In a post on X, Mr. Hegseth said, “Pentagon access is a privilege, not a right. So, here is the @DeptofWar press credentialing FOR DUMMIES.”

“Press no longer roams free,” he said. “Press must wear visible badge.”

He also stated that reporters are “no longer permitted to solicit criminal acts,” though it was not clear what he meant by the last statement. 

Mr. Hegseth, who has only held two formal press briefings, previously restricted press access by limiting what portions of the Pentagon reporters could access without an escort. 

President Trump said he supports the new rules. 

“I think [Mr. Hegseth] finds the press to be very disruptive in terms of world peace,” Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday. “The press is very dishonest.”

While most reporters chose to hand in their badges, another conservative outlet, the Federalist, criticized reporters and “professional con artists” trying to “grandstand” and said it looks forward to “eagerly covering the Pentagon, both on-site and from a distance.”