NEW YORK (TIP): The New York Times sued the Pentagon on Thursday, December 4, accusing the department of infringing on the constitutional rights of journalists with the press restrictions it imposed earlier this year. Those restrictions seek to “restrict journalists’ ability to do what journalists have always done—ask questions of government employees and gather information to report stories that take the public beyond official pronouncements,” the newspaper argued. Most of the Pentagon press corps turned in their badges and walked out two months ago instead of signing on to the new policy, which threatens to revoke the credentials of journalists who seek and report information not approved for public release by the department.
The Pentagon, meanwhile, held a press briefing on Tuesday, September 2, with those who did agree to the restrictions—a group that included far-right influencer Laura Loomer and former Republican lawmaker Matt Gaetz, who withdrew his bid to become Trump’s attorney general last year over sexual misconduct allegations, which he has denied. Gaetz, who now hosts a show on the right-wing One America News Network, wore his old congressional jacket to the press briefing, which had his former title of “representative” stitched on the front above his name.
On Thursday, SitRep spoke with Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a combat veteran who sits on the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees. Duckworth is calling for more answers from the administration on the Sept. 2 strikes and access to video of the incident. Adm. Bradley briefed the chairs and ranking members of the Armed Services and Intelligence committees in each chamber, but Duckworth said that information needs to be made available to all members of Congress.
Based on what she’s learned so far, Duckworth said she believes that the Sept. 2 strike was “illegal.” The survivors of the initial strike were “in the water clinging to debris,” she said, dismissing the administration’s reported justification that they were continuing the mission.
That “goes against every international law of warfare” and “even the most basic ethics class you got as a young officer in the military,” Duckworth said. When asked whether Hegseth was likely to be held accountable over this controversy and Signalgate, Duckworth said it depends on how Trump calculates this. “This is all about Donald Trump’s personal self-preservation—deciding whether or not this is now too much and Hegseth needs to go. But Hegseth is also supremely good at sucking up to Donald Trump and throwing other people under the bus, which is what he’s doing with the admiral [Bradley] at this point,” she said.
Be the first to comment