The Department of War held its first press briefing on Tuesday with its new press secretary, following a major shakeup that barred legacy media from the Pentagon. In a scene that felt almost dystopian, the almost empty room was dominated by right-wing media figures, including disgraced former Congressman Matt Gaetz and Donald Trump ally Laura Loomer.
Press secretary Kingsley Wilson, making her debut at just the third Pentagon briefing of the year, took a volley of questions from the podium. However, unlike her White House counterpart, Karoline Leavitt, the glamorous 26-year-old faced mostly very easy questions from so-called 'new media,' and the briefing wrapped up in less than 30 minutes.
Hegseth's New Mouthpiece
Wilson addressed a few topics, including Venezuela's 'narco-terror' drug war and Iran's nuclear program, but much of the session focused on criticizing The Washington Post—whose reporters weren't even in the room. Back in October, media outlets were asked to sign new contracts to maintain access to Hegseth's department.
The agreements would have imposed strict rules on what reporters could cover, limiting them to Pentagon-approved material. Major organizations, including CBS, ABC, and The Post, refused, citing threats to independent reporting and press freedom.
Loomer opened the briefing with the only question that could be seen as challenging the Trump administration, asking about the White House's ties to Qatar. She called the country "one of the biggest financiers of the Muslim Brotherhood," a group classified as a terrorist organization.
"I'm not tracking this," Wilson responded. Tuesday's briefing marked her first time speaking to reporters from the podium.
The first two questions had been handled by Hegseth as well as Sean Parnell—assistant to the Secretary of Defense for public affairs—and General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The Game Begins
Wilson's briefing appeared largely focused on delivering the department's messaging. For now, the White House hasn't barred mainstream reporters from attending their own briefings. Wilson also said these sessions will now become a more regular occurrence—raising questions about what's ahead.
Disgraced Congressman Gaetz asked whether anyone who had served in the Venezuelan military would be considered a narco-terrorist. Wilson replied,
"That would be a determination for the President to make." She defended the recent strikes, claiming everyone targeted so far was a narco-terrorist on a drug boat—though this claim hasn't been independently verified.
Much of the briefing focused on a Washington Post story that claimed Hegseth had committed a war crime by verbally ordering follow-up strikes that killed survivors on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean. The White House and Pentagon had previously refuted the report as "fake news," insisting that the quotes attributed to the Defense Secretary were fabricated.
Wilson reinforced this stance, saying the September decision to strike the vessel was made by Admiral Frank M. Bradley, and that Hegseth supported the action.
Wilson is the daughter of right-wing commentator and former Trump adviser Steve Cortes. She previously worked for the conservative think tank Center for Renewing America, founded by Russell Vought, Trump's former budget chief.
In October, every newsroom and reporter with an office inside the Pentagon had to pack up and leave if they refused to sign the new contracts. On Monday, a group from new media arrived, with Laura Loomer claiming the desk that had once belonged to The Washington Post. She later announced on X that she was now occupying the seat formerly held by the Post's Dan Lamothe.
