Overview
- CBS News invited Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to sit at its tables, though he has not confirmed attendance and the network declined to comment.
- Media critics and some journalists object to hosting him at a First Amendment–themed gala because he limited access for credentialed Pentagon reporters.
- A federal judge last month ruled the Pentagon’s press guidelines unlawful in a New York Times case that challenged the restrictions.
- Hegseth’s tenure included ousting three senior officials over alleged leaks and adopting rules that led many outlets to walk out of Pentagon briefings in October.
- CBS has given Hegseth prominent airtime in recent months, including a January CBS Evening News interview arranged by editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and a March 60 Minutes interview, while other outlets are also seating administration figures at their dinner tables.