July 10, 2026
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10:08Now PlayingAttorneys Brian Kabateck and Shant Karnikian cover Judge Paul Friedman's third ruling against the Pentagon's press restrictions in nine months. This time, a 35-page preliminary injunction blocked the escort policy requiring credentialed journalists to be accompanied by a government minder at all times. Friedman wrote: "Those who drafted the First Amendment believed that the nation's security requires a free press and an informed people. That principle has preserved the nation's security for almost 250 years." He found the policy was likely retaliatory, citing Hegseth's public attacks on "legacy Trump-hating press" and his complaints about an "endless stream of garbage." The judge called the Pentagon's security rationale "facially dubious," asking: "Is the implication that a Department official is more likely to divulge classified information while, say, in line at Starbucks?" Brian and Shant trace the full timeline: October 2025 loyalty pledge (struck down in March), revised restrictions (struck down in April as an end run), escort policy (now blocked). Each time the court rules, Hegseth invents a new restriction. The Freedom of the Press Foundation called for contempt sanctions if the Pentagon tries another workaround. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the department "strongly disagrees."
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