Trump loyalist Laura Loomer said Friday that a Pentagon insider revealed to her that Fox News blacklisted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in retaliation for the department’s demand that outlets sign a pledge promising to adhere to reporting restrictions.
Loomer made the explosive allegation while sharing Mediaite’s One Sheet newsletter published Thursday that raised questions about why Hegseth, who spent nearly a decade at Fox before joining President Donald Trump’s administration, has not appeared on the network since October 2025.
Loomer claimed the rift traces back to a dispute over the Pentagon’s recent press corps agreement and which Fox correspondent would be permitted to travel on department trips.
“Senior Department of War source tells me the real reason why @SecWar Pete Hegseth hasn’t been on @FoxNews in over a year is because when Fox News got upset about signing the new Pentagon Press Corps agreement and was told they can only have one corespondent travel on @DeptofWar trips, the Department of War chose @LucasFoxNews Lucas Tomlinson and they rejected @JenGriffinFNC Jennifer Griffin,” Loomer wrote.
She continued by calling out Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott, whom she misidentified as the network’s president: “This infuriated Fox News executives, including Fox News President Suzanne Scott, and so Fox News executives retaliated by BLACKLISTING Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of War, from coming on Fox News.”
Mediaite has not independently verified Loomer’s account, but reached out to Fox News for comment. The network’s representatives have not yet replied at the time of publishing.
The allegation follows Mediaite’s One Sheet newsletter highlighting that Hegseth has not appeared on the network where he was once a familiar face in almost a year.
Hegseth’s last Fox appearance came on Oct. 5, 2025, when White House correspondent Peter Doocy aired an interview with him from the Navy-Air Force football game, according to Media Matters’ Matt Gertz.
Poynter’s Tom Jones called the absence “a bit surprising.”
“First, Fox News is usually a friendly place for Trump administration officials to get their message across — especially when public opinion is against them,” Jones wrote. “Second, Hegseth came from Fox News. He was a regular co-host on the weekend edition of ‘Fox & Friends’ when Trump tapped him for defense secretary.”
Since then, as Mediaite’s Stephanie Kaloi noted, Hegseth has continued appearing on other television networks while remaining absent from Fox.
The post Laura Loomer Claims She Found Out ‘Real Reason’ Why Pete Hegseth Vanished From Fox News first appeared on Mediaite.