The Pentagon has made a seriously controversial move by officially credentialing right-wing activist Laura Loomer to cover President Trump’s Department of Defense. This development, first reported by The Washington Post, signals a major shift in how the DoD is engaging with the media and handling Trump-related news—and frankly, it’s a troubling departure for traditional journalism.
This credentialing comes amid sweeping changes to Pentagon media policies, with the department actively working to elevate more conservative and alternative outlets covering the Trump administration. The move stands in stark contrast to the treatment of several major news organizations.
While Loomer is granted access, massive outlets like The Hill, The New York Times, and the major broadcast networks find themselves locked out. These organizations refused to sign off on a new, highly restrictive policy introduced by the Pentagon earlier this fall. The new guidelines are designed to severely restrict access and control the flow of information coming from the department.
From the perspective of established outlets, it’s easy to understand why they wouldn’t agree to rules that effectively muzzle their reporting. Yet, it’s wild to see that the Pentagon is restricting access to journalists who follow standard protocols while simultaneously awarding credentials to someone known primarily for controversy.
Laura Loomer wasted no time celebrating her new status. She took to social media to announce the news, boasting about her influence. Loomer claimed her work has “had a massive impact on the landscape of personnel decisions within the Executive Branch, our intelligence agencies and the Pentagon.” While this is a bold assertion, it appears to reflect her close proximity and sway within the administration.
Loomer is far from a quiet observer. She is a deeply controversial figure with a history of attacking allies of the president—including some Republicans. Her closeness to President Trump has sparked backlash even from GOP ranks. This underscores just how far outside the mainstream she operates compared to typical credentialed reporters.
A recent example of her confrontational style came just last month when Loomer publicly criticized Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. She blasted him over the announcement that the U.S. would host a Qatari air force facility in Idaho. On social media, Loomer declared there is not “a single Trump supporter who supports allowing Qatar to have a military base on US soil.”
Slamming the sitting Secretary of Defense while covering the DoD is a power move no matter where you stand on the issue. It confirms that the Pentagon is prioritizing specific, alternative voices over broad, traditional journalistic coverage.
Overall, this development raises serious questions about the Pentagon’s direction in managing media relations and the future landscape of defense reporting.
https://wegotthiscovered.com/politics/pentagon-handovers-the-baton-of-managing-donald-trumps-reputation-to-laura-loomer/