'Angry adolescent at the Pentagon' John Harwood slams Pete Hegseth's press crackdown

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Monday that the Pentagon and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have set up a joint task force to identify and prosecute what he called unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information to the media. Hegseth warned that the leakers won't be spared as "we're living in a dynamic and dangerous threat environment". Critics saw the move as a greater clampdown on the press, and it was met with swift criticism, with journalist John Harwood claiming that information leaks weren't as dangerous as having Hegseth as the Defense Secretary, as he has botched an armed conflict in the Middle East already. 

Hegseth said the Defense Department’s Office of General Counsel (OGC) will be able to request and obtain all the information, support, and records across the Pentagon regarding news media leak investigations. In a video posted to X, the Defense Secretary said the unauthorized disclosure of "sensitive War Department information has the very real potential to cause exceptionally grave damage to our national security and the operational integrity of our armed forces." 

Hegseth further said that the Pentagon will investigate leaks more quickly and thoroughly, adding that those who improperly share confidential or classified information "will be met with the full force of the law." He added all of the department's components and personnel will "prioritize" the requests of the OGC and it will receive a “full and complete” response within two days of the requests being submitted.  “Leaked information risks lives. These new tools and processes will greatly assist us in protecting our joint force. The security of our nation cannot be a bargaining chip for those who seek momentary headlines,” Hegseth said. Reacting to the announcement, Harwood shared the video in a post claiming leaks were: "not as dangerous as installing an angry adolescent at the Pentagon to play 'Secretary of War' and botch an armed conflict in the Middle East."

Hegseth's announcement comes after the White House repeatedly tried to clamp down on information leaks following bombshell reports on FBI Director Kash Patel's professional misconduct and the recent reports on Trump's Qatari-gifted Air Force One. After the New York Times reported that the new Air Force One lacked critical defensive countermeasures, which forced the president to use the old plane while flying out of Turkey, the publication announced that several of its journalists received subpoenas from the administration demanding they appear before a federal grand jury investigating a potential crime.

The move was met with similar opposition, with Jodie Ginsberg of the Committee to Protect Journalists claiming it was an escalation in efforts of the administration to intimidate the media. “The subpoenas are an extraordinary escalation in President Trump’s efforts to threaten and intimidate independent news organizations, and have a chilling effect on the work of journalists across the country,” the committee said as per WTOP.

However, the DOJ told BBC that the subpoenas were issued to investigate the illegal leaks and that the "Reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are." Nevertheless, the publication's top newsroom lawyer, David McCraw, labeled the move as a "brazen act" and "nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country" by intimidating journalists.