Laura Loomer, Matt Gaetz show up for first Pentagon briefing after press corps ‘self deports’
Washington, D.C. – The Pentagon’s press corps has taken on a fresh look, and it’s not entirely new faces. Some familiar right‑wing personalities – Laura Loomer and former Representative Matt Gaetz – were in the room at the Department of War’s first press briefing after the old guard of Pentagon reporters handed in their building passes instead of signing a new agreement that would have limited their reporting to statements from official spokespersons.
Gaetz, who left Congress last January and now hosts a talk show on One America News, pressed DoW spokeswoman Kingsley Wilson about what “post‑Maduro” Venezuela would look like as the United States ramps up military pressure there. He asked how the administration would decide whether Venezuelan military or government officials should play a role after Maduro departs.
Wilson spoke briefly, noting that the Pentagon had a “contingency plan for everything.” When Gaetz followed up, suggesting that anyone who served in the Venezuelan military or government might be considered a narcoterrorist, Wilson replied that that judgment would ultimately fall to the President. She added that every individual the Pentagon has targeted so far who is on a drug‑laden boat heading to the U.S. is indeed a narco‑terrorist.
Loomer, frequently critical of Qatar, confronted Wilson on whether the U.S. should continue selling F‑16 fighter jets to Doha and providing training on U.S. platforms, especially after President Trump began designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization. Loomer pointed out that Qatari and Turkish financiers have long supported the Brotherhood and asked if U.S. ties might be reassessed, possibly including Qatar. Wilson said she was not tracking any reevaluation at that moment but emphasized that protecting American assets remained a top priority.
During a heated exchange, an unnamed attendee questioned Loomer about whether the U.S. was reexamining its relationship with Israel after claims that the Israeli government funds Hamas. Wilson deflected the accusation, suggesting the matter was better suited for the State Department, which handles diplomatic channels.
The Pentagon’s new agreement went unaccepted by several major news outlets—including Fox News, the New York Times, and Newsmax—resulting in those media houses being barred from asking questions during Tuesday’s briefing. According to an internal email from the Pentagon’s press office, outlets that did not sign the agreement could not participate.
Wilson used the opportunity to criticize the “legacy media,” noting that public trust in those outlets had fallen to a record low of 28 percent. She argued that the Pentagon was not looking to restore a damaged model but, instead, was welcoming newer outlets that reached broad audiences, asked substantive questions, and avoided a biased agenda.
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