Gift link here: Hegseth orders rare, urgent meeting of hundreds of generals, admirals

EXCLUSIVE: New details on Trump's quid pro quo to use El Salvador's mega prison -El Salvador's president Bukele demanded the US hand over 9 MS-13 leaders in exchange for access to the prison -During a March phone call with Bukele, Marco Rubio noted a problem: some of these men

NEW: Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine has completed a check ride to again pilot the F-16 fighter jet and is set to be up in the air with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a demonstration flight in Nevada on Sunday.

The U.S. will send two survivors of a Thursday military strike back to their home countries - raising questions as to why they would not be taken as prisoners if this operation is indeed part of an “armed conflict.” W/@AlexHortonTX

Today the Pentagon Press Corps handed over our badges and walked out in unison in defense of the First Amendment. It’s an unprecedented attack on the public’s right to know and the end of one of the most professional press relationships in DC.

Don’t forget the nail salon or the cupcake pop-up shop …

This is all we had to sign to be credentialed for the Pentagon until now - no restrictions on news gathering. It’s what we’ve signed for years. The new 21 pages of requirements are not about safety - they are about limiting what the public will know.

This is the Pentagon Press Corps. And this is what professional media engagement looks like. Did Mattis want to kick our butts sometimes? You bet. Especially when we solicited information (i.e. did journalism) he’d have rather not seen in the headlines. Did their press officers

“Did I as a reporter solicit information? Of course. It's called journalism: finding out what's really going on behind the scenes and not accepting wholesale what any government or administration says.”

Must-read from @TBowmanNPR. It’s important everyone understands that this document is not about press’ ability to “roam the halls.” It equates asking for information—the press’ literal job—with criminal activity. The new rules even stipulate that sharing our contact information

“The “most transparent DoD in history” wants the American people to have nothing more than a government-authorized narrative about its military.”

This badge fight “arises from an entirely one-sided move by Pentagon officials apparently intent upon cutting the American public off from information they do not control and pre-approve.” For the last few days, Hegseth’s press team has made error after error in their statements

Update—Two conservative outlets will *not* sign the Pentagon's press policy: @NEWSMAX and @WashTimes. They join @TheAtlantic, @washingtonpost, @CNN, @nytimes, and more in refusing the pledge. (@OANN *will* sign) Our piece in @washingtonpost: https://t.co/LD7QlEVqlI

🚨New statement from @WashingtonPost Executive Editor @murraymatt on the Pentagon's new press access policy. https://t.co/G1chmvQB1P

If you want to understand the First Amendment fight at the Pentagon and why this week is so important watch this video. BZ, @AaronMehta

Both the White House press office and State Department Press office regularly brief, gaggle and talk to their reporters. Sure it’s combative at times - that’s the nature of engaging. Only Hegseth’s team at the Pentagon does not. In the end their lack of regular communication ends

Former CNO ADM Lisa Franchetti and I will be talking #Ukraine this Tuesday at @FDD - tune in

There’s an NYT piece today that needs context: There are few Pentagon reporters who have been in more conflict areas, who have taken more personal risk to tell the military’s story than @NBCNews @CkubeNBC and @FoxNews @JenGriffinFNC. It’s worth asking why @SecWar is so obsessed

🚨EXCLUSIVE: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s sprawling hunt for Charlie Kirk critics spans nearly 300 investigations -- with dozens of reprimands, dismissals and "nonjudicial punishment" already From @noahjrobertson @TaraCopp https://t.co/7SNyfuwO4f

EXCLUSIVE: Hegseth’s sprawling hunt for Charlie Kirk critics spans nearly 300 investigations across military, defense civilians and contractors w/ @noahjrobertson

.@secWar has falsely suggested Pentagon reporters prowl the hallways accessing offices they are not allowed. We don't. Even his boss, President Trump, allows reporters in to the Oval to ask him questions, and every defense secretary I've covered for more than a decade -- both