Sat May 24 04:09:10 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and rewritten news article based on the provided text:

**Summary:**

The Trump administration, through Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, is imposing stricter controls on press access within the Pentagon. Journalists now require official escorts in most areas, justified by the need to protect classified information. The Pentagon Press Association criticizes the move as a direct attack on press freedom. This comes amid heightened efforts to investigate leaks, including polygraph tests and media rotation in office spaces, favoring outlets seen as friendly to the administration.

**News Article:**

**Trump Administration Tightens Grip on Pentagon Press Access, Citing Security**

**Washington D.C. -** In a move sharply criticized by press advocates, U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued new directives requiring journalists to have official escorts throughout much of the Pentagon building. The order, effective immediately, restricts credentialed reporters from accessing most areas of the Department of Defence headquarters without prior approval and an official escort.

The stated rationale, according to a memorandum released Friday, May 23, 2025, is the need to protect classified national intelligence and operational security. “While the Department remains committed to transparency, the Department is equally obligated to protect CSNI (classified intelligence) and sensitive information,” Hegseth stated.

The Pentagon Press Association (PPA) swiftly condemned the restrictions. In a statement, the PPA called the new rules “a direct attack on the freedom of the press,” arguing that the corps has accessed unclassified areas for decades, even after 9/11, without OP-SEC issues.

This move comes amid a broader crackdown on leaks within the Trump administration. Since President Trump’s return to office in January, the Pentagon has launched leak investigations, placing officials on administrative leave. Legacy media organizations, including *The New York Times*, *The Washington Post*, CNN, and NBC News, have been subjected to a rotation system for Pentagon office spaces, making room for outlets like *The New York Post*, Breitbart, *The Daily Caller*, and One America News Network.

The administration’s broader efforts to control information flow include lie detector tests for government employees and warnings of potential termination for refusing polygraphs. The White House maintains that President Trump “will not tolerate leaks to the media.”

According to the Friday memorandum, Pentagon press members will be issued new credentials and “acknowledge a responsibility to protect national intelligence and sensitive information.” The memo also teases future announcement of “additional security measures and enhanced scrutiny on the issuance of credentials.”

The Pentagon has not responded to the PPA statement, according to Reuters. The situation is sure to escalate, with media associations vowing to fight these new restrictions.

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