Hegseth waves 'goodbye' to news outlets opposing Pentagon press policy

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday waved "goodbye" to legacy media outlets who opposed the Pentagon's new press policies, by using the goodbye handwave emoji on social media posts that reacted to their opposition.

The Pentagon has implemented several rounds of new restrictions on the press corps reporting on the military, including banning reporters from entering certain areas without an escort, banning reporters from soliciting tips for stories and requiring reporters to sign a pledge to protect sensitive information.

Outlets like the Washington Post, Associated Press, Reuters, New York Times, The Atlantic and CNN have all opposed the latest changes, which has been met with the goodbye hand-waving emoji from the secretary on X.

"Journalists from the Washington Post will not be signing the Pentagon's new press access policy," the outlet said in a post on X. "The proposed restrictions undercut First Amendment protections by placing unnecessary constraints on gathering and publishing information. 

"We will continue to vigorously and fairly report on the policies and positions of the Pentagon and officials across the government," the outlet added.

Reporters have until Tuesday to sign the new agreements or relinquish their press badges by Wednesday.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.