Trump official demands 'severe punishment' for journalists over Washington Post report
U.S. President Donald Trump looks at media members after returning to the White House from Scotland, Britain, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 29, 2025. REUTERS Umit Bektas
The administration of President Donald Trump reacted badly to a Washington Post story reporting Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth quadrupled his security detail over that of past administrations to guard his multiple homes and properties.
The Post reported Wednesday that “Hegseth’s unusually large personal security requirements are straining the Army agency tasked with protecting him as it pulls agents from criminal investigations to safeguard family residences in Minnesota, Tennessee and D.C., according to numerous officials familiar with the operation.”
Described by the Post as a “sprawling, multimillion-dollar initiative” the security team has forced the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division to staff weeks-long assignments in each location and monitor residences belonging to Hegseths’ former spouses, say officials.
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“I’ve never seen this many security teams for one guy,” said one official, speaking anonymously to reporters. “Nobody has.”
Sources told the Post about 150 agents typically serve on VIP security details, but one source said Hegseth team is “400 and going up,” while another claimed it was “over 500.”
Trump administration officials pounced the Post for publishing the revelation.
“By publishing details about Secretary Hegseth’s security protocols, the Washington Post is actively putting him and his family in danger for clicks, posted Department of Defense Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson on X.
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Several people working with the Department of Defense’s Press Secretary joined in and slammed the info, including Assistant Press Secretary Jacob Bliss, who called the Washington Post “scum” for publishing the embarrassing numbers. Bliss also claimed reporting the staff increase put “numerous lives and families at risk.”
“How do these reporters sleep at night,” asked Assistant Press Secretary Riley Podleski on X.
Acting Deputy Press Secretary Joel Valdez claimed the Post “intentionally published sensitive details of [Hegseth’s] security detail for him and his family — putting their safety at risk.” He even called for “severe punishment for what [reporters] are doing.”
“President Trump was SHOT and nearly KILLED just last year—yet the corporate media STILL plays reckless games with people’s lives,” posted the Department of Defense “Rapid Response” account on X.. “Have they learned NOTHING?”
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None of the Department of Defense commenters explained in their posts how citing the size of Hegseth’s detail endangered lives as of early Wednesday morning.
Read the full Washington Post article at this link.
