The Pentagon’s newly installed right-wing influencer press corps has stayed silent on the Venezuela operation that captured Nicolás Maduro, instead focusing on memes and loyalty enforcement.
> At a Glance
> – New right-wing influencers got Pentagon press badges in November after mainstream outlets walked out
> – None have reported actual news about the Venezuela raid that captured Maduro
> – They’re posting memes and attacking critics instead of covering military operations
> – Why it matters: Taxpayers are funding a press corps that spreads propaganda rather than information
The Pentagon replaced traditional journalists with Trump-friendly influencers after major networks refused to sign restrictive new access rules. Now these creators with Pentagon credentials are ignoring major military operations while pushing political agendas.
The New Press Corps
Defense Department press secretary Kingsley Wilson told the remaining press:
> “Legacy media chose to self-deport from this building. We’re not going to beg these old gatekeepers to come back.”
The new policy bars journalists from accessing information unless the Defense Department makes it “readily available.” Mainstream outlets including ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox News refused to accept these terms.
What They’re Actually Doing
Instead of covering the Venezuela operation, Pentagon-credentialed influencers are:
- Laura Loomer: Tried to crowdsource information on Pentagon officials who might leak to media
- Cam Higby: Posted “The White House account better be cooking up a sick edit” about Maduro’s arrest
- Monica Paige: Shared old Biden posts about Trump admiring dictators
- Joey Mannarino: Debated 2028 presidential preferences between JD Vance and Marco Rubio
Lancevideos, another credentialed creator, called Congressman Thomas Massie “libtards” for questioning the Venezuela operation and wrote “Could Iran be next? USA kidnapping spree must continue.”
Access Without Information
These influencers have received only one official briefing from Wilson, who used it to attack departing journalists. Despite Pentagon credentials, they’ve gotten zero briefings about the Venezuela raid.
Melissa Wall, journalism professor at California State University, Northridge, notes:
> “They sound like these armchair warriors who wrote their blogs at home and parroted a lot of what the military said. Are they actually getting any real information?”
Defense Secretary’s Media Tour
Pete Hegseth’s new “Arsenal of Freedom Tour” included only CNN from mainstream media at its Virginia shipyard launch. Right-wing figures dominated the event, with John Konrad seeking Hegseth’s autograph on his own book.
Key Takeaways
- Pentagon replaced experienced military reporters with political influencers
- New press corps has access but receives no real information about operations
- Taxpayers fund a press operation that functions as a propaganda amplifier
- The model echoes Iraq war bloggers who attacked critics while supporting military actions
- No accountability mechanism exists for this new information control system
The Pentagon’s influencer experiment has created press credentials without press access, resulting in a taxpayer-funded megaphone for political messaging rather than military reporting.
