Pentagon handovers the baton of managing Donald Trump’s reputation to Laura Loomer

The Pentagon just made a seriously controversial move by officially credentialing right-wing activist Laura Loomer to cover President Trump’s Department of Defense. This is huge news, and it was first reported by The Washington Post. Loomer’s new access signals a major shift in how the DoD is dealing with the media and Trump news, and frankly, I think this is pretty awful for traditional journalism.

This credentialing comes at a time when the Pentagon is implementing sweeping changes to its media policies, actively working to elevate more conservative and alternative outlets covering the Trump administration. It’s a complete paradox because while Loomer is getting access, a number of major news outlets are locked out.

We’re talking about massive organizations like The Hill, The New York Times, and each of the major broadcast networks. They all refused to sign off on a new, highly restrictive policy that the Pentagon rolled out earlier this fall.

The Pentagon is giving passes to extremists instead of news organizations

The new policy is designed to severely restrict access to the Pentagon and seeks to control the information that comes out of the department. If you’re an established outlet, you can see why you wouldn’t want to agree to rules that essentially muzzle you. It’s wild that they’re restricting access for journalists who follow standard protocols while letting in someone known primarily for controversy.

Loomer, for her part, wasted absolutely no time in celebrating the news. She took to social media to announce her new status, and she was seriously boasting about her influence. She claimed her work has “had a massive impact on the landscape of personnel decisions within the Executive Branch, our intelligence agencies and the Pentagon.” That is a seriously bold claim, but it seems to reflect the kind of proximity and influence she has within the administration.

Loomer isn’t just a quiet observer, though. She’s a deeply controversial figure who has a history of attacking allies of the president, including some Republicans. Her proximity to President Trump has sparked backlash, even from within the GOP ranks. This tells you just how far outside the mainstream she operates compared to typical credentialed reporters.

We recently saw an example of her willingness to slam high-ranking officials. Just last month, she went after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. She blasted him over the announcement that the U.S. would host a Qatari air force facility in Idaho. Loomer didn’t hold back, writing on social media that there is not “a single Trump supporter who supports allowing Qatar to have a military base on US soil.”

Wow. Slamming the sitting Secretary of Defense while you’re covering the DoD is a top-tier power move, whether you agree with her stance or not. It confirms that the Pentagon is prioritizing specific, alternative voices over broad, traditional coverage.