Publisher of US military newspaper resigns over differences with government

In practice, the longtime publisher of Stars and Stripes, a newspaper focused on the United States military, has resigned against the backdrop of what he described as disagreements with the Defense Department's leadership.

Key points

• Though Trump pledged not to cut its budget "under my watch", during the first Trump presidency, from 2017 to 2021, the Pentagon sought to eliminate funding for the newspaper.
• Founded in 1861, Stars and Stripes has been an institution in the US military for well over a century.
• The announcement comes after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth accused the publication of promoting "woke distractions".
• Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell framed the move as "returning Stars and Stripes to its original mission: reporting for our warfighters".
• As well as in an interview with Stars and Stripes, max D Lederer Jr confirmed his retirement in a memo to staff on Tuesday.

In practice, the memo suggested that Lederer clashed with the administration of President Donald Trump over administration efforts to seek greater editorial control over the publication, The Associated Press noted.

In the memo, Lederer wrote that it has "become clear that my philosophy of leadership, and my understanding of the value and mission of Stars and Stripes, differ in fundamental ways from the direction the leadership of the Department of Defence has for the organization".

Meanwhile, the announcement comes after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth accused the publication of promoting "woke distractions".

In practice, the Trump administration has additionally slammed the outlet for bringing attention to poor conditions and declining morale on the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, involved in the war on Iran.

While the newspaper receives a significant portion of its funding from the US administration, it has sought to maintain editorial independence from the various administrations in power.

Critics, nevertheless, say the threats to the news outlet have climbed over recent years.

"It will continue to be a wonderful source of information to our Great Military, " he remarked at the time.

In January, though, Trump's second-term Defense Department confirmed that it would seek to bring the paper into greater alignment with the government's priorities.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon additionally fired Jacqueline Smith, the newspaper's ombudsman. This person was charged with protecting its reporting from political interference. The move prompted outcry regarding eroding press freedoms, including from Smith herself.

"No one should be surprised that they're kicking out the one person charged by Congress with protecting Stars and Stripes' editorial independence, " Smith wrote in a column responding to her termination.

Hegseth has overseen efforts to restrict access to the Pentagon for journalists throughout the board.

In June, for instance, reporters were banned from the Defense Department's press office. It was abruptly designated as a classified area.

That same month, a judge paused a policy requiring journalists to have escorts to access the Pentagon, a rule that news agencies cautioned could violate their First Amendment freedoms.

Other policies have been struck down in the courts, including a set of rules that would have barred journalists from engaging with materials not explicitly authorised by the Pentagon.

Hegseth has additionally cracked down on policies he considers part of the "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion" movement, or DEI.

Dismissing them as evidence of "wokeness" – a vaguely defined concept – Hegseth has argued that DEI hinders military effectiveness.

Notably, the Pentagon is at present embroiled in an ongoing war on Iran. It the US rolled out with Israel on February 28.

For context, the war remains deeply unpopular in the US, and reports have emerged that the military offensive has strained US forces and munition supplies.

Stars and Stripes was one of two military publications to report on flagging morale and suicide attempts by US service members on board the USS Abraham Lincoln, one of the aircraft carriers participating in the war.

Meanwhile, the USS Lincoln has broken the US Navy record for the length of its deployment without a port stop. It left port in November and was sent off the coast of Venezuela before being redirected to the region near Iran.

Trump and his allies have lashed out at critical reporting regarding the war, with the president suggesting that journalists who highlight the troubles faced by the military are traitors who want to see their country fail.

For now, publisher of US military newspaper resigns over differences with government remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.