"Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who has rebranded his position as Secretary of War, followed the U.S. military invasion of Venezuela with a revealing press strategy: he shut out the Pentagon press corps and instead traveled with a hand-picked group of right-wing influencers and loyalist outlets on what the Pentagon itself branded the Arsenal of Freedom Tour. The timing was striking."
"U.S. forces had just carried out an operation inside a foreign country that ended with the capture and extradition of Nicolas Maduro. In the immediate aftermath, the administration avoided calling the operation what it plainly was, leaning on softer language that suggested a limited or targeted action. That effort collapsed when senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller later acknowledged publicly that the United States had invaded Venezuela."
"As Oliver Darcy reported, the reporters invited to travel with Hegseth were not members of the established Pentagon press corps. They were sympathetic media figures and online personalities who have praised Hegseth, echoed the administration's framing, or dismissed mainstream journalism outright. According to people familiar with the matter, the Pentagon extended invitations not to the established press corps, but to a collection of right-wing outlets the administration has actively sought to elevate."
Pete Hegseth shut out the established Pentagon press corps and traveled with a hand-picked group of right-wing influencers and loyalist outlets on a Pentagon-branded Arsenal of Freedom Tour. The trip occurred immediately after U.S. forces carried out an operation inside Venezuela that ended with Nicolas Maduro's capture and extradition. Administration officials initially used softened language to describe the operation, but senior adviser Stephen Miller publicly acknowledged that the United States had invaded Venezuela. The invited reporters were sympathetic media figures who praised Hegseth, echoed the administration’s framing, or dismissed mainstream journalism. The Pentagon’s invitation list reflected elevation of partisan outlets over traditional press accountability.
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