Mattis, Pentagon Have Shut Down Briefings About Military Efforts

Defense Secretary James Mattis and Pentagon officials have put a stranglehold on the outflow of information about the country's military efforts worldwide, Politico reports.

Mattis hasn't held a press briefing since April while his chief spokesperson hasn't held one since May, despite the recent death of a U.S. service member in Afghanistan, Politico reports.

By comparison, defense secretaries and chairmen of the joint chiefs used to hold monthly press briefings.

The restrictions from the Pentagon have touched off speculation that the fingerprints of President Donald Trump are on it as part of his war on the media.

The Pentagon says no.

"We have an obligation to the American people to get the facts right the first time and will continue investing our time in journalists who are equally committed to getting it right," Dana White, Mattis' assistant for public affairs, told Politico in a statement.

"Our metric of success is whether the American public is informed with the facts, not whether reporters are always satisfied," White said.

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