Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Monday that the Pentagon and Justice Department have created a joint task force to identify and prosecute people who leak sensitive government information, marking an escalation in the Trump administration’s crackdown on press disclosures.
In a video posted on social media, Hegseth said the Pentagon’s Office of General Counsel will now have the authority to request and receive all information, support, and records across the Defense Department concerning media leak investigations. All Pentagon components and personnel must prioritize these requests and provide full responses within two days, according to Hegseth’s announcement.
“Leaked information risks lives,” Hegseth said in the roughly two-and-a-half-minute video. “Access to confidential and secret information is a sacred trust, and those who betray that trust will be met with the full force of the law.”
The task force announcement came just days after the Justice Department issued rare subpoenas to four New York Times reporters, seeking to compel their testimony before a federal grand jury in Manhattan over their reporting on security concerns with President Trump’s new Qatari-donated Air Force One. The Times had reported that Trump used the older Air Force One instead of the new aircraft as a security precaution, and that the new plane lacked some advanced defensive features of the older aircraft. The newspaper’s attorney, David McCraw, condemned the subpoenas as an “extraordinary escalation” and an attempt to intimidate news organizations.
Since taking the helm at the Pentagon, Hegseth has pursued an aggressive strategy against leaks. Last year, the department launched investigations into personnel accused of leaking classified information and threatened to conduct polygraph tests. In April 2025, Hegseth fired three senior officials—senior adviser Dan Caldwell, deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, and Colin Carroll, former chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen A. Feinberg—during a leak investigation. An administration official later told The Hill that there was no evidence Caldwell, who was subsequently hired by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, had actually leaked information from the Pentagon.
Hegseth himself has faced scrutiny over his handling of sensitive information. In March 2025, he discussed pending U.S. strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen in a Signal group chat, including details about types of aircraft and bomb drop times. The chat inadvertently included The Atlantic’s editor. A Pentagon Office of Inspector General report released in December 2025 found that Hegseth violated department policy by using the commercial Signal app on his personal cell phone and jeopardized troop safety through the disclosure.
The new task force also reflects broader efforts by the Trump administration to restrict press access to the Pentagon. Hegseth has barred most reporters from Pentagon facilities and revoked press credentials. In October 2025, Pentagon reporters turned in their press passes rather than sign an updated policy requiring them to pledge not to solicit any unauthorized material, even if unclassified, or face credential revocation. Press freedom groups have condemned the policy as a violation of First Amendment rights.
Thanking acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for his “help in this important project,” Hegseth said he was “proud that our departments are working together closer than we have ever before.” The task force represents the latest tool in what observers say is a systematic effort to prevent government disclosures to the media, even as the administration itself has faced questions about its own handling of classified and sensitive information.
Sources
- The Washington Post — Announced the joint task force and its details; context on NYT subpoenas
- The Hill — Hegseth’s task force announcement; background on prior leak investigations and staff firings; context on Pentagon press restrictions
- The Guardian — Task force announcement and Hegseth’s stated purpose; context on broader press crackdown
- Reuters — Confirmed task force creation and prosecution focus; context on prior leak probe
- Air Force Times — Task force announcement dated July 13, 2026
