Pentagon Reportedly Bans Press Photographers from Briefings Over ‘Unflattering’ Hegseth Pics

(AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

Pentagon staffers have reportedly barred press photographers from briefings on the escalating U.S. conflict with Iran after growing angered by “unflattering” images of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Photographers from major wire services including the Associated Press, Reuters and Getty Images were present at a March 2 Pentagon briefing, when Hegseth appeared alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine and the pair gave their first update after initial strikes commenced on February 28.

When images from the event circulated globally, Hegseth’s aides complained internally about how the defense secretary looked in the photographs, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.

Two people familiar with the decision spoke anonymously to the newspaper, reportedly out of fear of retaliation, and claimed some staffers found the pictures “unflattering.”

The department then barred photographers from two subsequent briefings on March 4 and March 10, the sources alleged. Since then, they added, only Defense Department staff photographers have been permitted inside the briefing room.

In a statement, Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson told the newspaper the move was related to space and credentialing requirements rather than the images themselves:

In order to use space in the Pentagon Briefing Room effectively, we are allowing one representative per news outlet if uncredentialed, excluding pool. Photographs from the briefings are immediately released online for the public and press to use. If that hurts the business model for certain news outlets, then they should consider applying for a Pentagon press credential.

The Washington Post reported that the White House declined to comment but following the publication of the article, deputy press secretary Anna Kelly took to X to blast the report as “fake outrage”:

Her reply to the newspaper was to jab at recent layoffs: “Didn’t the Washington Post just fire all of its White House photographers?”

The restrictions come just months after members of Pentagon press corps turned in their badges and dozens walked out in united protest of a policy restricting journalists from soliciting information not authorized by the government.

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