More than 100 Pentagon reporters cleared their workplaces and surrendered their press credentials this week, refusing to sign a restrictive press coverage policy promoted by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth, beset by reports highlighting his unsuitability for the post, wants to control the flow of information from the ministry he heads. He wants the press to be his stenographer, instead of a free and independent fourth estate.

About 30 media outlets, including Bloomberg, declined to sign on to the Pentagon’s new policy, ensuring coverage of the administration’s largest federal department will be more difficult. Even the conservative news outlets Newsmax and Fox News – Hegseth’s old employer – refused to sign on to the new policy. One America News Network, a Trump-friendly network, agreed to the new restrictions.

The pledge, outlined in 21 pages, requires reporters to agree not to request classified or non-classified information that has not been approved for release. In other words, journalists would be prohibited from doing their job, which is to inform the public about the actions of their government.

Americans have every right to know how the $1 trillion of taxpayer dollars managed by the department is being spent. They have every right to know whether the version of events coming from senior officials is true or just propaganda. The Pentagon’s troubling efforts to limit journalists’ access are the latest evidence that the Trump administration’s frequent promises of transparency are empty.

The Pentagon wants the American public and the world to hear only its version of events—and to shroud decisions about war and peace in secrecy.

More likely, Trump wants to control the narrative about his tenure. If it weren’t for the press, the world might never have learned about the abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq or the truth about the Vietnam War. More recently, reporters have raised questions about the legality of U.S. military attacks on ships from Venezuela, revealing details that contradict the government’s official line.

Hegseth’s feud with the press started early and has become a hallmark of his tenure at the Pentagon. “Our members did nothing to create this troubling situation,” the Pentagon Press Association said in a statement.

“It comes from a completely unilateral move by Pentagon officials who apparently seek to shut out the American public from information they do not control and have not pre-approved – information concerning matters such as sexual assaults in the military, conflicts of interest, corruption or waste and fraud in billion-dollar programs.”

“Coverage by the Pentagon press concerns issues that matter not only to the public,” the statement continued, “but also to the well-being of the soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and guardsmen who protect America every day. Their possible removal from the Pentagon should be a concern for everyone.”

A year from now, when the Nobel Peace Committee considers awarding Trump the prize, it should remember his administration’s total suppression of the press. This is part of an unconstitutional slide towards authoritarianism, the curtailment of freedoms, the silencing of critics and the obstruction of democracy.

A reasonable question to ask Hegseth is why he is so afraid of journalists. He has rebuked the press and given few press conferences, unlike his predecessors. The obvious answer is his own record, which includes the careless handling of classified information in a Signal conversation with—among others—Vice President Vance.

Under Hegseth’s leadership, the Pentagon has made persistent efforts to “root out” leakers.

Hegseth called his efforts to limit reporters’ access to the Pentagon “common sense,” falsely implying that reporters roamed freely with unrestricted access. At X, he conveniently offered the goodbye emoji to media who refused to sign the pledge.

Journalists covering the Pentagon will not be in the building, but their efforts to accurately cover it will remain undiminished and possibly even more persistent.