Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Launches Pentagon‑DOJ Task Force to Crack Down on Media Leaks

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the creation of a joint task force between the Pentagon and the Department of Justice to identify and prosecute individuals who leak sensitive defense information to the press. The Pentagon’s Office of General Counsel will be empowered to request and receive any records, data, or support from across the department, with a mandated response time of 48 hours. Hegseth warned that “leaked information risks lives” and that betraying the “sacred trust” of confidential information will be met with “the full force of the law.” He thanked Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for his assistance and said the departments are working together more closely than ever.

The announcement follows recent DOJ subpoenas issued to New York Times journalists who reported on security concerns surrounding President Donald Trump’s newly gifted Qatari Air Force One. The subpoenas, criticized by the newspaper’s legal counsel and press‑freedom groups as an intimidation tactic, sought testimony before a Manhattan grand jury. The leak‑crackdown is part of a broader Trump‑administration effort that has previously imposed reporting restrictions on Pentagon journalists and pursued other media outlets for alleged disclosures.