WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on July 6, 2026, that the Pentagon and the Department of Justice have formed a joint task force to identify and prosecute unauthorized disclosures of classified information to the press. The initiative aims to strengthen enforcement against leaks of sensitive national security data and enhance coordination between defense and law enforcement agencies.

Hegseth, who has served as the 29th U.S. secretary of defense since 2025, stated in a video posted on X that he has delegated tasking authority to the Department of Defense’s Office of General Counsel. That office is now empowered to request and receive all information, records, and support across the department related to media leak investigations. “Leaked information risks lives, these new tools and processes will greatly assist us in protecting our joint force,” Hegseth said.

He added, “The security of our nation cannot be a bargaining chip for those who seek momentary headlines. 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.” Hegseth also thanked acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche for his assistance in establishing the task force.

The announcement comes amid a series of recent federal actions targeting journalists who reported on classified matters. In January 2026, federal agents raided the home of a Washington Post reporter as part of an investigation into a government contractor’s handling of classified records. Earlier in the year, the Justice Department sought to compel testimony from reporters at the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, though it later withdrew the subpoenas after legal challenges from the news organizations.

Those efforts followed subpoenas issued to New York Times journalists after they published reports on security concerns involving a Qatari-gifted aircraft intended for former President Donald Trump. According to the Times, the plane lacked some advanced security features of the older Air Force One, prompting Trump to fly home from Turkey on the original aircraft at the Secret Service’s urging. Before publication, a senior FBI official contacted the Times requesting the story be withheld for national security reasons but declined to elaborate on the threat and asked the paper to reveal its sources, which it refused.

Why It Matters

The new task force intensifies long-standing tensions between press freedom and national security enforcement. Critics, including the National Press Club, have warned that such investigative tactics threaten the public’s constitutional right to an independent press. David McCraw, the Times’ top newsroom lawyer, said, “The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects.”

A Justice Department spokesperson responded that journalists are not the targets of these investigations, emphasizing that “those leaking classified information are.” The spokesperson added, “We value and appreciate the important role that the press plays in this country, but DOJ also plays an important role to make sure that the people entrusted with our nation’s secrets do what they’re supposed to do with that information.”