In New Response to Warren, Pentagon Reveals Interference with Stars and Stripes Mission That Threatens Censorship, Media Independence

In New Response to Warren, Pentagon Reveals Interference with Stars and Stripes Mission That Threatens Censorship, Media Independence

Pentagon revealed shift in mission and focus of Stars and Stripes on same day it fired Stripes' advocate for independence

"While America is at war, the Trump administration is hellbent on silencing our key military newspaper and attacking service members' access to the free press."

Text of Response (PDF)

Washington, D.C. - In a new response to a recent letter from U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), the Pentagon reveals interference that threatens the media independence of Stars and Stripes, the military's editorially independent newspaper. The response was prepared the same day the Pentagon fired Stripes' ombudsman, its advocate for independence.

"While America is at war, the Trump administration is hellbent on silencing our key military newspaper and attacking service members' access to the free press. Every American should be concerned about this blatant censorship," said Senator Warren.

In the new response, the Pentagon reiterated that "Stripes will remain editorially independent of the military chain of command, military public affairs activities, or other external influences, and without censorship or propaganda," but multiple other points in the letter reveal the Pentagon interfering with the mission of the paper and shifting toward censorship and propaganda.

Highlights include:

• The Pentagon explains Stripes' mission as to "deliver content, specifically relevant to Service members and their families, that is not usually covered by commercial media." The Pentagon also describes Stripes as a "publication that serves the U.S. military community [and] operates in support of good order and discipline of the military."

• The Pentagon called First Amendment protections for the military newspaper "unnecessary." In response to questions from the lawmakers about why it removed a Stripes regulation that called for the newspaper to "[keep] with the principles of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution," the Pentagon called the rule "unnecessary principally," stating that "there was no need for it to be in the Code of Federal Regulations."

The 1994 regulations that the Pentagon revoked in January were implemented after years-long oversight investigations from Congress and GAO uncovered systemic issues of censorship at Stripes. The regulations incorporated many of Congress's and GAO's recommendations and reforms, including the appointment of a civilian editor in chief and the insulation of editorial decision-making from DoD officials.

• The Pentagon dodged questions about whether it has withheld articles from publication at Stripes. In response to the lawmakers asking whether DoD has withheld any articles from publication, the Pentagon answered narrowly, writing: "The language concerning good order and discipline has not led to any Stripes articles being withheld from publication."

• The response appears to reveal increased Pentagon influence in directing the future of Stripes. Following a Department of Defense memo from March calling for the creation of an advisory group for Stars and Stripes to be selected by its publisher, the Pentagon, in this new response, notes that the group has yet to be formed but has to receive the office of the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs' "concurrence."

The new information comes in response to an April letter from the lawmakers, denouncing the Department of Defense's restrictions on Stars and Stripes. The letter pressed DoD on its decision to limit Stripes' editorial independence, asked which of the paper's past articles have violated DoD rules, and pushed for more information on the extent of the involvement of DoD political appointees in editorial decision-making at the paper.

In March, DoD issued a memo giving DoD political appointees more authority over Stripes, placing new restrictions on its reporters and the paper's independent ombudsman, and limiting civilian editors from publishing wire service stories unless "approved by" a DoD political appointee, even for sports and coverage of war zone areas. DoD's memo imposed new rules on Stars and Stripes, including calling for the reprint of DoD official statements in the paper, restricting journalists' ability to conduct investigative journalism, and limiting access to DoD sources.

Stripes has a decades-long history of independent journalism. DoD formally codified many of Congress's recommendations to protect the paper in 1994, including the appointment of a civilian editor in chief and the insulation of editorial decision-making from DoD officials.

Senator Warren has led efforts to stop the Department of Defense's attacks on the free press:

• In April 2026, Senator Warren led lawmakers in slamming the Pentagon's restrictions on the editorial independence of Stars and Stripes and called for the Department to reverse policies that violate press freedom.

• In January 2026, Senator Warren joined Senator Blumenthal and colleagues to speak out in support of the newspaper and urge DoD to reverse course and instead protect its editorial independence in line with the First Amendment.

• In October 2025, Senator Warren pressed Mr. Charles L. Young III, then-nominee to be Army general counsel, on the Department of Defense's attempts to restrict freedom of the press and his commitment to preserving free speech for military reporters.

• In March 2025, Senator Warren pressed Emil Michael, then-nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E)), on his concerning history of attacks on journalists and public accountability.

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