Trump's USA

The War on the Media
Established Media Denied Access to the Pentagon

Several major American media houses, including the Washington Post, AP, CNN and Reuters, have been denied access to this week's rare press briefings at the Pentagon. Instead, the meetings are being held for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's hand-picked, newly accredited press corps – mainly conservative media outlets that have approved his new regulations, reports the AP.

Most established newsrooms left the Pentagon last fall after refusing to sign regulations that they believe risk restricting independent reporting.

The exclusion comes at a time when Congress is reviewing US military strikes against suspected drug traffickers. The decision raises questions about how much public transparency remains when the Pentagon now only holds press briefings on occasional occasions, the news agency writes.

Border issue
Somalia keeps quiet after Trump's harsh criticism

Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has chosen not to comment on Donald Trump's statement that "the country stinks" and that the US does not want Somalis in its country, reports The Guardian.

- There are things that should not be commented on. We will leave them there and move on. It is better to ignore than to make a problem of his words, he says according to the newspaper.

AFP has spoken to Somalis in the capital Mogadishu who comment on the statement with irritation and resignation.

- It is high time that the Somali government breaks the silence and tells Trump to stop insulting us, says trader Daud.