Ankara: US President Donald Trump said Sunday he does not think that the Pentagon should control what reporters can report amid new media restrictions at the Defense Department. "No, I don't think so. Nothing stops reporters," said Trump when asked whether the Pentagon should decide what reporters can report on. His remarks come as the Pentagon tightens media access rules.

According to Anadolu Agency, Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on US social media company X that "The 'press' does not run the Pentagon -- the people do." This statement follows new guidelines that formalized updated physical control measures for press and media access within the Pentagon. Spokesman Sean Parnell detailed these measures, explaining that credentialed reporters are now required to sign documents acknowledging updated protocols. Previously, reporters had more freedom to move throughout the Pentagon.

Under the new policy, escorts are required for sensitive areas, while media still retains access to the defense media office and other general spaces. This shift in policy accompanies an executive order signed by Trump on September 5, which rebrands the US Department of Defense as the Department of War. The change allows the use of 'Department of War' and 'Secretary of War' as secondary titles in official communications, ceremonial contexts, and non-statutory documents within the executive branch. However, the official legal names remain Department of Defense and secretary of defense, as only Congress can enact a formal renaming.