Hegseth Tells Troops Reporting on Iran Is a ‘National Betrayal’

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called press coverage of the Iran war “a national betrayal,” and described journalists as anti-American traitors for reporting on the actions of the Pentagon.

Delivering a speech at a Marine Corps base just outside Washington in Virginia, Hegseth touted his push to scrap what he called “woke” policies but began with a series of accusations against the media.

“It’s your movements and bases that they reveal to the enemy,” Hegseth said. “It’s your operations that they jeopardize.”

“A free press is of course important, but partisan activism that intentionally smears the troops and the historic mission that they are undertaking is fundamentally anti-American,” Hegseth said. “It’s sick. It’s a national betrayal. It’s treason.”

The remarks were in keeping with Hegseth’s past criticism of the media. He has imposed new reporting restrictions on the Pentagon press corps. Many outlets including Bloomberg News, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal turned in their press passes rather than agree to the limits.

They also echoed President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that media outlets should be charged with treason for what he’s called incorrect reporting around the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.

Hegseth said his recent decision to cut the number of slots for generals and admirals by 20% was “long overdue.” Hegseth’s directives will allow some posts to be filled with lower-ranking officers, such as Army colonels or Navy captains, instead of generals and admirals.