And so ends yet another week with no routine news briefing at the Pentagon. Despite an active conflict with Iran, there have been zero briefings since May 5.
Dan Lamothe
@danlamothe.bsky.social
Military affairs reporter with The Washington Post. State-school alum. Beer-league softball enthusiast. Dog guy. Signal for encrypted tips: danlamothe.30
Transparency update: After repeated rounds of airstrikes on Iran over the last week, there's no sign of the Pentagon returning to news briefings that were occasionally held earlier in the war. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last briefed the public in a press conference at the Pentagon on May 5.
Trump begins construction of unannounced White House helipad for Marine One helicopters: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Trump begins construction of unannounced White House helipad
The project, funded with a Lockheed Martin donation, is intended to resolve a years-long problem with the new Marine One helicopters: They run the risk of scorching the White House's grass.
washingtonpost.com
New: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stonewalled internal efforts to extend Gen. Chris Donahue's career, sources tell The Washington Post. wapo.st/3SJrmhP
Hegseth thwarted internal efforts to extend top Army general’s career
Gen. Christopher Donahue, seen as a top warfighter, is the latest apparent casualty in a purge of senior military leaders by the Trump administration.
wapo.st
News tips, as always, appreciated. I'm on Signal at danlamothe.30
Laura Loomer is among those traveling with Secretary Hegseth today to Guantanamo Bay.
President Trump has pardoned Stephen Buyer, a former Republican representative from Indiana who was convicted of insider trading in 2023.
Trump Pardons Former Congressman Convicted of Insider Trading
Stephen Buyer, a former Republican representative from Indiana, was convicted of trading stock related to two deals before they were made public.
nyti.ms
Hegseth at Normandy: "Sadly, today, different European beaches are stormed by different dangerous ideologies. Beaches in Spain and Italy and Greece and Bulgaria. Boats and men arrive. When will European capitals do something about that invasion? Or is it too late? I pray not, and I believe not."
EXCLUSIVE: Navy SEAL family says Hegseth and Trump Jr. ‘ghosted’ them on war-zone death investigation With text messages. Gift link: wapo.st/3RQNsPa
Family angry Hegseth, Trump Jr. ‘ghosted’ them on SEAL’s death investigation
Cmdr. Job Price’s death was ruled a suicide. But irregularities raised suspicions among his loved ones and others.
wapo.st
You can send your encrypted news tips at danlamothe.30 With thanks.
Dan Lamothe@danlamothe.bsky.social · 2mo agoNEW: The Pentagon has banned journalists from its press office, designating it a classified space. The change creates a new barrier between journalists and the public affairs officers who have traditionally answered their questions. wapo.st/4fZu2kW
NEW: The Pentagon has banned journalists from its press office, designating it a classified space. The change creates a new barrier between journalists and the public affairs officers who have traditionally answered their questions. wapo.st/4fZu2kW
Pentagon bans journalists from press office, designating it a classified space
The change creates a new barrier compared with previous administrations, under which the office was an open room where reporters could stop by the desks of military public affairs officials without es...
wapo.st
Two UMass alumni softball wins this morning in D.C.'s beautiful West Potomac Park against Johns Hopkins and Texas A&M. It's unclear how long this park will remain available, amid an effort by President Trump to turn it into sculpture garden.
One memo, circulated within the Air Force, stipulates that to be eligible to watch the cage fights, personnel “MUST MEET CURRENT WAIST-HEIGHT RATIO and current physical fitness standard.” Troops will be required to wear their short-sleeve dress uniforms, the memo adds.
Dan Lamothe@danlamothe.bsky.social · 2mo agoNEW: The Pentagon is moving to recruit hundreds of troops to appear as spectators at Trump’s UFC cage-fighting event at the White House, and requiring those who attend to pay their own way and meet height and weight requirements, memos obtained by @washingtonpost.com show. wapo.st/49wqqDf
NEW: The Pentagon is moving to recruit hundreds of troops to appear as spectators at Trump’s UFC cage-fighting event at the White House, and requiring those who attend to pay their own way and meet height and weight requirements, memos obtained by @washingtonpost.com show. wapo.st/49wqqDf
Pentagon recruiting troops to watch White House UFC fights, memos show
Internal messages reviewed by The Post stipulate that military personnel must pay their own ways and meet strict physical requirements to be eligible.
wapo.st
"Most transparent administration ever"? In this move, the Trump administration seeks to crack down on the disclosure of *unclassified* information.
Dan Lamothe@danlamothe.bsky.social · 2mo agoNEW: Trump administration proposes NDAs for all federal workers www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
NEW: Trump administration proposes NDAs for all federal workers www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Trump administration proposes NDAs for all federal workers
The rule, aimed at cracking down on leaks to media organizations, would expand nondisclosure agreements instituted at the Pentagon and other agencies.
washingtonpost.com
“For love of country they accepted death.” — James A. Garfield
Trump is planning another new addition to the White House: a helipad on the south lawn. Why? Because the long-stalled new Marine One helicopters keep burning the grass. with the estimable @danlamothe.bsky.social
Trump plans to build helipad at White House
The longtime helicopter owner is addressing a persistent problem: The new Marine One helicopters have a history of burning grass.
washingtonpost.com
. @moulton.house.gov responds to his dustup with Adm. Cooper today: "If Admiral Cooper is unwilling to ask these questions himself, or is uncomfortable answering them, then he’s not doing his job." Gift link: wapo.st/4dxZ9Bj
Admiral accuses lawmaker of ‘inappropriate’ remark at Iran war hearing
Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, appeared frustrated with questions from House Democrats who pressed him on a range of issues about the conflict.
wapo.st
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“The president is always going to be the president. He’s always going to say and do things that cause chaos or controversy. That doesn’t mean it’s okay for everybody else to act that way.”
Dan Lamothe@danlamothe.bsky.social · 3mo agoNEW: Pete Hegseth tightens control at Pentagon, defiant and more confident than ever Lots of new details here: www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
In a statement, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles did not dispute Washington Post reporting that she has had concerns about Hegseth at times. But she credited him with bringing “clarity, strength and leadership” to the Pentagon “at a critical moment for our country.”
Dan Lamothe@danlamothe.bsky.social · 3mo agoNEW: Pete Hegseth tightens control at Pentagon, defiant and more confident than ever Lots of new details here: www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
One administration official equated the state of play with Pete Hegseth’s job security to that of a grizzly bear chasing a group of hikers. “As long as you don’t run the slowest, you’re safe — and Pete is not the slowest right now.”
Dan Lamothe@danlamothe.bsky.social · 3mo agoNEW: Pete Hegseth tightens control at Pentagon, defiant and more confident than ever Lots of new details here: www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
NEW: Pete Hegseth tightens control at Pentagon, defiant and more confident than ever Lots of new details here: www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Hegseth tightens control at Pentagon, defiant and more confident than ever
Trump’s combative defense secretary has grown more self-assured of his job security despite his early missteps in the role, people familiar with the matter said.
washingtonpost.com
FEMA is working to rehire more than 100 disaster-response employees who had been fired months ago in time for hurricane season, according to officials.
FEMA aims to rehire most of the disaster-response employees it fired months ago
The agency is planning to bring back most of the staffers from the Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery who were terminated as part of Kristi Noem’s plans to cut the agency.
washingtonpost.com
Timeline cleanse: Toweling off the pup tonight after getting caught in the rain.
Pete Hegseth today repeated a false zombie claim to lawmakers that 197 generals were removed from their jobs during the Obama years. That figure: 1) Included many who were NOT generals or admirals 2) Included many officers who were removed for cause for disciplinary issues. It's not the same.
Two weeks ago, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told The Washington Post that Pete Hegseth “maintains excellent working relationships with the secretaries of every military service branch.” It wasn't true then and it isn't true now, officials say, as Navy Secretary John Phelan exits.
Clearing Strait of Hormuz of mines could take 6 months, Pentagon official tells Congress in classified briefing wapo.st/4eIeBgm
Clearing Strait of Hormuz of mines could take 6 months, Pentagon tells Congress
The Pentagon assessment, shared in a classified briefing for lawmakers, suggests gasoline and oil prices could remain elevated through the midterm elections.
wapo.st
On CNN tonight talking the U.S. naval blockade and Iran:
