Federal judge rules Pentagon policy restricting press access unconstitutional, hands victory to New York Times

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Fox News senior strategic analyst Ret. Gen. Jack Keane addresses news organizations' response to the Pentagon's new rules for press access and more on 'Special Report.' The New York Times is touting a victory after a federal judge ruled against the Pentagon's press access policy implemented in 2025. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman of Washington, D.C., slapped down a policy requiring journalists to agree to specific conditions in order to be granted access to the Pentagon, something the Times argued violated its First Amendment and Fifth Amendment rights. "The record evidence supports the conclusion that the Policy discriminates not based on political viewpoint but rather based on editorial viewpoint—that is, whether the individual or organization is willing to publish only stories that are favorable to or spoon-fed by Department leadership," Friedm