MAGA Pentagon Correspondent FIRED After Criticizing Hegseth!

2025-06-01 06:00:52.67

Gabrielle Cuccia, a self-proclaimed "MAGA girl" and former chief Pentagon correspondent for One America News (OAN), was fired after criticizing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's restrictions on press access at the Pentagon. Cuccia, who previously served in the Trump White House and reported for OAN from the White House, voiced concerns about Hegseth's actions in a Substack post, questioning the rationale behind the restrictions and the lack of formal press briefings. She argued that limiting press access hinders transparency and undermines the public's ability to hold the government accountable. Following her post, Cuccia was asked to return her Pentagon badge and subsequently fired. OAN has not commented on the situation. Cuccia's firing comes after OAN was given NBC's former workspace at the Pentagon as part of a broader Pentagon effort to court pro-Trump media outlets. Cuccia had renovated the space, calling it the "Liberty Lounge." Her Substack post detailed her concerns about the Pentagon's increasingly restrictive press policies, echoing those of the Pentagon Press Association, and highlighting the lack of briefings by the Pentagon's top spokesperson. She emphasized the importance of a free press in holding the government accountable and contrasted Hegseth's actions with those of previous administrations. The primary trigger for her post was a May 23 memo restricting journalists' access to key areas of the Pentagon without an escort.