It’s Been Over 300 Days Since a Pentagon Press Briefing

For about six months now, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has used her briefing room so little that officials might as well turn it back into the swimming pool it was more than a half century ago. But she’s not the only one who has abandoned this post. Apparently taking the lead from the White House, the Pentagon has gone more than 300 days since the last time an official spokesperson stood up and gave an on-camera briefing to the press. This is a critical failure by the Department of Defense, which should be able and willing to explain to taxpayers what they are doing with the nearly $700 billion that they are entrusted with each year.

Increasingly, under the guise of security, defense officials have been close-mouthed — not just failing to show up at the briefing room lectern but even refusing to confirm the identity of senior officials given prominent assignments for fear of cyber attacks. All of this is in keeping with President Trump’s penchant for “surprise,” and while we of course want to avoid revealing the nation’s secrets, the system is tightening up to excess. Moreover, there seems to be a growing notion that dealing with the media is an annoyance, and the public should simply trust the government.