Latest news with #OAN
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Business
- Yahoo
OAN Pentagon Reporter and Self-Styled ‘MAGA Girl' Says She Was Fired for Criticizing Pete Hegseth's Press Restrictions
OAN chief Pentagon correspondent and former Trump White House staffer Gabrielle Cuccia, who describes herself as a 'MAGA girl,' says she was fired from the unabashedly conservative cable news network for criticizing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's restrictions on the press. Cuccia was hired by OAN after the network took over NBC's former Pentagon workspace, and soon raised concerns about the Defense Department's increasing limitations on journalists, including locked briefing room doors and a lack of formal press briefings. 'If you want the best case study for the death of the MAGA movement — look no further than the Department of Defense,' Cuccia wrote on her Substack. 'If there's any place where we should be asking questions, demanding transparency, and applying pressure — it's here.' Not long after, Cuccia was seen clearing out her workspace and later confirmed her termination, which was first reported by CNN's Reliable Sources. Cuccia called the current restrictions the 'antithesis' of MAGA values, which she describes as questioning government authority first and foremost. 'This Administration, to my surprise, also locked the doors to the Pentagon Briefing room, a protocol that was never in place in prior Administrations, and a door that is never locked for press at the White House,' Cuccia wrote. Trump 'welcomes the hard questions … and yes, even the dumb ones. Why won't the Secretary of Defense do the same?' OAN did not comment on her firing to CNN. Cuccia says among other things, the new policies mean it's no longer possible to approach defense officials for off-the-record conversations, as media 'escorts' are the only way to freely move about areas of the Pentagon that have traditionally been open to journalists. She also said the DOD requested her questions for Hegseth – in his only press briefing so far – in advance. 'At first I thought nothing of it and figured they wanted to be prepared for their very first briefing and be able to answer questions with as much info in response as possible,' she wrote. 'Unfortunately that was not the case and they responded by telling me to field my question about CECOT/Gitmo to the Department of State suggesting it wasn't within the DoD's purview — just days later, the SecDef did a trip to Gitmo.' Cuccia said she's still a 'MAGA girl' and has nothing against Hegseth per se – but apparently that wasn't enough for OAN to keep her onboard. 'This article isn't to serve as a tearing down of the SecDef,' she concluded. 'This is me wanting to keep MAGA alive. Ask questions, debate, and stay vigilant – even when it is someone on the right side of the aisle.' The post OAN Pentagon Reporter and Self-Styled 'MAGA Girl' Says She Was Fired for Criticizing Pete Hegseth's Press Restrictions appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
MAGA outlet's Pentagon correspondent criticized Hegseth. And then she was fired, she says
Gabrielle Cuccia criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's crackdown on press access at the Pentagon. And then, she said, she was fired. Cuccia was briefly the chief Pentagon correspondent for the small and staunchly pro-Trump TV channel One America News, OAN for short. A self-proclaimed 'MAGA girl,' Cuccia positioned herself as a proudly conservative voice among the normally nonpartisan Pentagon press corps. But she grew perturbed by Hegseth's actions against the press. In a post on her personal Substack account on Tuesday, she wrote that the Defense Department's recent move to make vast parts of the Pentagon off-limits to journalists was a 'troubling shift.' She heaped doubt on the Defense Department's rationale for the restrictions. And she questioned why Hegseth hasn't held any formal press briefings since being sworn in. 'This article isn't to serve as a tearing down' of Hegseth, she wrote. 'This is me wanting to keep MAGA alive.' Evidently, someone disagreed. On Thursday, 'I was asked to turn in my Pentagon badge to my bureau chief,' Cuccia said in response to CNN's inquiry about her status there. On Friday, she said, she was fired. Cuccia declined to answer followup questions. OAN president Charles Herring did not respond to CNN's request for comment, including about whether any Pentagon officials complained to OAN about Cuccia's Substack post. Cuccia served in the Trump White House in 2017 and 2018 and later reported from the White House for OAN, then spent several years as a contractor, according to her LinkedIn page. One of her right-wing TV appearances went viral last year when she repeated Trump's claims of 2020 election fraud on Newsmax. The anchor cut her off, most likely due to allegations being made during the segment. Whether through fiery TV segments or Instagram posts posing with firearms, Cuccia was public about her MAGA bonafides. So she was a natural fit to return to OAN earlier this year. In February, the Defense Department took away NBC's longtime workspace at the Pentagon and gave the office to OAN — part of a broader push by the Pentagon to seek out pro-Trump coverage and sideline traditional news outlets. OAN suddenly needed to staff the Pentagon, so Cuccia was brought aboard as chief Pentagon correspondent. She personally renovated the office space into what she called a 'Liberty Lounge' and chronicled the process on social media. According to her Substack post, she soon grew skeptical of the Defense Department's dealings with the press corps. Echoing the concerns of the Pentagon Press Association — which Cuccia said she is not officially a part of, since 'again hello I am MAGA' — she pointed out that the Pentagon's top spokesman has only held one briefing since January. 'This Administration, to my surprise, also locked the doors to the Pentagon Briefing room, a protocol that was never in place in prior Administrations, and a door that is never locked for press at the White House,' she wrote. 'The Commander-in-Chief welcomes the hard questions… and yes, even the dumb ones. Why won't the Secretary of Defense do the same?' Her nuanced assessment of the Pentagon's press crackdown totaled 3,000 words. It aligned with the slogan that she printed on tank tops and sold on Etsy last year: 'Love your country, not your government.' The primary trigger for her post seemed to be the Defense Department's May 23 memo restricting journalists from key parts of the Pentagon without an official escort. 'For decades — across both Republican and Democratic administrations — reporters have operated in these spaces responsibly, including in the wake of 9/11, without raising red flags from leadership over operational security,' she wrote. The memo indicated that further restrictions are likely in the coming weeks, including a pledge to protect military secrets and tougher scrutiny of press credentialing. 'Without press, we by default have to assume that our government relaying information to us, is true,' Cuccia wrote, calling that attitude 'the antithesis of what we believe in.' On Friday she changed her X bio to 'former chief Pentagon correspondent.'
CNN
6 hours ago
- Business
- CNN
MAGA outlet's Pentagon correspondent criticized Hegseth. And then she was fired, she says
Gabrielle Cuccia criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's crackdown on press access at the Pentagon. And then, she said, she was fired. Cuccia was briefly the chief Pentagon correspondent for the small and staunchly pro-Trump TV channel One America News, OAN for short. A self-proclaimed 'MAGA girl,' Cuccia positioned herself as a proudly conservative voice among the normally nonpartisan Pentagon press corps. But she grew perturbed by Hegseth's actions against the press. In a post on her personal Substack account on Tuesday, she wrote that the Defense Department's recent move to make vast parts of the Pentagon off-limits to journalists was a 'troubling shift.' She heaped doubt on the Defense Department's rationale for the restrictions. And she questioned why Hegseth hasn't held any formal press briefings since being sworn in. Get Reliable Sources newsletter Sign up here to receive Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter in your inbox. 'This article isn't to serve as a tearing down' of Hegseth, she wrote. 'This is me wanting to keep MAGA alive.' Evidently, someone disagreed. On Thursday, 'I was asked to turn in my Pentagon badge to my bureau chief,' Cuccia said in response to CNN's inquiry about her status there. On Friday, she said, she was fired. Cuccia declined to answer followup questions. OAN president Charles Herring did not respond to CNN's request for comment, including about whether any Pentagon officials complained to OAN about Cuccia's Substack post. Cuccia served in the Trump White House in 2017 and 2018 and later reported from the White House for OAN, then spent several years as a contractor, according to her LinkedIn page. One of her right-wing TV appearances went viral last year when she repeated Trump's claims of 2020 election fraud on Newsmax. The anchor cut her off, most likely due to allegations being made during the segment. Whether through fiery TV segments or Instagram posts posing with firearms, Cuccia was public about her MAGA bonafides. So she was a natural fit to return to OAN earlier this year. In February, the Defense Department took away NBC's longtime workspace at the Pentagon and gave the office to OAN — part of a broader push by the Pentagon to seek out pro-Trump coverage and sideline traditional news outlets. OAN suddenly needed to staff the Pentagon, so Cuccia was brought aboard as chief Pentagon correspondent. She personally renovated the office space into what she called a 'Liberty Lounge' and chronicled the process on social media. According to her Substack post, she soon grew skeptical of the Defense Department's dealings with the press corps. Echoing the concerns of the Pentagon Press Association — which Cuccia said she is not officially a part of, since 'again hello I am MAGA' — she pointed out that the Pentagon's top spokesman has only held one briefing since January. 'This Administration, to my surprise, also locked the doors to the Pentagon Briefing room, a protocol that was never in place in prior Administrations, and a door that is never locked for press at the White House,' she wrote. 'The Commander-in-Chief welcomes the hard questions… and yes, even the dumb ones. Why won't the Secretary of Defense do the same?' Her nuanced assessment of the Pentagon's press crackdown totaled 3,000 words. It aligned with the slogan that she printed on tank tops and sold on Etsy last year: 'Love your country, not your government.' The primary trigger for her post seemed to be the Defense Department's May 23 memo restricting journalists from key parts of the Pentagon without an official escort. 'For decades — across both Republican and Democratic administrations — reporters have operated in these spaces responsibly, including in the wake of 9/11, without raising red flags from leadership over operational security,' she wrote. The memo indicated that further restrictions are likely in the coming weeks, including a pledge to protect military secrets and tougher scrutiny of press credentialing. 'Without press, we by default have to assume that our government relaying information to us, is true,' Cuccia wrote, calling that attitude 'the antithesis of what we believe in.' On Friday she changed her X bio to 'former chief Pentagon correspondent.'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Matt Gaetz flirts with a run for Florida governor, adding a bit of chaos to the race
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, a close ally of President Donald Trump, is still considering a run for governor of Florida — a twist that complicates a Republican primary that already has a Trump-endorsed candidate and, potentially, the current governor's wife. Trump has backed Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., for the 2026 race, and a Trump adviser said the endorsement of Donalds — and only Donalds — 'is set' no matter what happens. But with Gaetz and Gov. Ron DeSantis' wife, Casey, in the wings, the field remains unsettled. Trump won Florida by 13 percentage points last year, and while he is considered a kingmaker in the state, his support for Donalds has not cleared the field. There is a belief that the GOP primary field is not yet set, according to 10 longtime national and state-level Republican operatives interviewed by NBC News, including those directly involved in the race. Many of them requested anonymity to speak candidly. The thought process that is settling in is that Gaetz sees an opportunity if both Donalds and Casey DeSantis run. A three-way primary in what is now a Republican-leaning state can open up the opportunity for a dark horse candidate to win the GOP nomination with just roughly 30% of the vote. 'Matt is always thinking — I could see him seeing a potential multi-way race presenting him an opportunity to re-emerge for a run,' a veteran Florida Republican operative said. Gaetz, whom Trump initially nominated to be his attorney general — only to see the nomination fall through because of concerns about past sexual misconduct allegations — is doing nothing to downplay increasing chatter he is again seriously considering a run for governor. Gaetz, who is a news anchor for the conservative TV network OAN, has repeatedly denied the allegations of sexual misconduct. 'I host a television show on One American News,' he told NBC News on Monday. 'Casey is right about one thing: It's very early. Many tectonic plates can shift in Florida in the next year or so.' Casey DeSantis told reporters this month that she understands why "it's a big conversation, but I will also say it's more than a year away from qualifying."Gaetz had been widely believed to be considering running for state attorney general, but that changed over the past few weeks as he started posting publicly about his support for a potential Casey DeSantis campaign. Gaetz's praise was notable; he had frequently gone after Casey DeSantis, including on his OAN show, around the Hope Florida scandal. 'Matt is using the patented tried and true Gaetz backhanded compliment,' a longtime Republican Florida operative involved in the race said. 'He believes a three-way race would benefit him, and he is thinking 'Why not me?' on a double [Trump] endorsement.' Republicans in the Legislature had been investigating whether DeSantis' administration illegally used $10 million tied to a federal Medicaid settlement to help defeat a 2024 ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana in the state. One of the groups the money flowed through along the way was Hope Florida, organization tied to the first lady. The Legislature has dropped its probe, but the Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald reported Tuesday that the effort is now being investigated by Leon County prosecutor Jack Campbell. On Tuesday, Ron DeSantis defended Hope Florida, which aims to offer grants to help low-income state residents become more financially self-sufficient. 'I believe in this program deeply, and I stand by it 100%,' DeSantis said. Donalds is considered the front-runner in large part because of the Trump endorsement but also because he has already raised more than $14 million — including a significant amount from Trump's national fundraising network. Major national donors to Donalds include Jeff Yass ($5 million), Richard Uihlein ($1 million) and Thomas Peterffy ($1 million). Casey DeSantis, meanwhile, was once seen as almost certain to run to replace her husband, who is term-limited, but the scandal centered on Hope Florida dampened that enthusiasm over the past few weeks. Last week, however, she and her husband held public events to hype and defend Hope Florida, a signal to many that she is working to wrest back the narrative about the social welfare group — and is still considering running for governor. A Republican operative familiar with Casey DeSantis' thinking said the news conference she and the governor held about Hope Florida this week "was intended to be a new trial balloon over a potential candidacy." 'It seems that there is no one else the governor can find, so he's back to pushing his wife," the operative said. Taryn Fenske, a DeSantis world political operative, declined to comment for this article. For now, Fenske is among the only consultants working for the DeSantis political machine, which itself is raising questions about that operation. A series of longtime operatives who have worked for Ron DeSantis, including on his failed 2024 presidential bid, are not considering working for Casey DeSantis if she runs. Florida pollster Ryan Tyson, who was a mainstay on Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign, and his top 2024 fundraiser, Makenzi Mahler, are among those who intend to sit out a bid by his wife. 'The first thing you need is a general consultant and a fundraiser,' said a national Republican operative not yet aligned in the race. 'She has none. That has to be the starting point, and I don't know how they get past that.' Trump did offer a double endorsement in the GOP primary in the Arizona governor's race, but his advisers told NBC News not to expect him to do it again in any race, including the Florida governor's contest. Trump advisers also view Donalds as doing what it takes to signal to Trump that he is willing to work to keep other potential GOP rivals boxed out. 'You have to work for something like this, and we see him doing that,' a Trump adviser said. 'There is no reason President Trump would deviate at this point.' Developments are expected to pick up after Florida's legislative session, which, after an extension because of a state budget fight, will go through the end of June. 'All eyes are on Casey and what she decides to do,' a longtime Republican familiar with her thought process said. 'A post-session decision is expected, and until she decides one way or the other, it all remains in flux.'This article was originally published on
NBC News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Matt Gaetz flirts with a run for Florida governor, adding a bit of chaos to the race
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, a close ally of President Donald Trump, is still considering a run for governor of Florida — a twist that complicates a Republican primary that already has a Trump-endorsed candidate and, potentially, the current governor's wife. Trump h a s ba cked Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., for the 2026 race, and a Trump adviser said the endorsement of Donalds — and only Donalds — 'is set' no matter what happens. But with Gaetz and Gov. Ron DeSantis' wife, Casey, in the wings, the field remains unsettled. Trump won Florida by 13 percentage points last year, and while he is considered a kingmaker in the state, his support for Donalds has not cleared the field. There is a belief that the GOP primary field is not yet set, according to 10 longtime national and state-level Republican operatives interviewed by NBC News, including those directly involved in the race. Many of them requested anonymity to speak candidly. The thought process that is settling in is that Gaetz sees an opportunity if both Donalds and Casey DeSantis run. A three-way primary in what is now a Republican-leaning state can open up the opportunity for a dark horse candidate to win the GOP nomination with just roughly 30% of the vote. 'Matt is always thinking — I could see him seeing a potential multi-way race presenting him an opportunity to re-emerge for a run,' a veteran Florida Republican operative said. Gaetz, whom Trump initially nominated to be his attorney general — only to see the nomination fall through because of concerns about past sexual misconduct allegations — is doing nothing to downplay increasing chatter he is again seriously considering a run for governor. Gaetz, who is a news anchor for the conservative TV network OAN, has repeatedly denied the allegations of sexual misconduct. 'I host a television show on One American News,' he told NBC News on Monday. 'Casey is right about one thing: It's very early. Many tectonic plates can shift in Florida in the next year or so.' Casey DeSantis told reporters this month that she understands why "it's a big conversation, but I will also say it's more than a year away from qualifying."Gaetz had been widely believed to be considering running for state attorney general, but that changed over the past few weeks as he started posting publicly about his support for a potential Casey DeSantis campaign. Gaetz's praise was notable; he had frequently gone after Casey DeSantis, including on his OAN show, around the Hope Florida scandal. 'Matt is using the patented tried and true Gaetz backhanded compliment,' a longtime Republican Florida operative involved in the race said. 'He believes a three-way race would benefit him, and he is thinking 'Why not me?' on a double [Trump] endorsement.' Republicans in the Legislature had been investigating whether DeSantis' administration illegally used $10 million tied to a federal Medicaid settlement to help defeat a 2024 ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana in the state. One of the groups the money flowed through along the way was Hope Florida, organization tied to the first lady. The Legislature has dropped its probe, but the Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald reported Tuesday that the effort is now being investigated by Leon County prosecutor Jack Campbell. On Tuesday, Ron DeSantis defended Hope Florida, which aims to offer grants to help low-income state residents become more financially self-sufficient. 'I believe in this program deeply, and I stand by it 100%,' DeSantis said. Donalds is considered the front-runner in large part because of the Trump endorsement but also because he has already raised more than $14 million — including a significant amount from Trump's national fundraising network. Major national donors to Donalds include Jeff Yass ($5 million), Richard Uihlein ($1 million) and Thomas Peterffy ($1 million). Casey DeSantis, meanwhile, was once seen as almost certain to run to replace her husband, who is term-limited, but the scandal centered on Hope Florida dampened that enthusiasm over the past few weeks. Last week, however, she and her husband held public events to hype and defend Hope Florida, a signal to many that she is working to wrest back the narrative about the social welfare group — and is still considering running for governor. A Republican operative familiar with Casey DeSantis' thinking said the news conference she and the governor held about Hope Florida this week "was intended to be a new trial balloon over a potential candidacy." 'It seems that there is no one else the governor can find, so he's back to pushing his wife," the operative said. Taryn Fenske, a DeSantis world political operative, declined to comment for this article. For now, Fenske is among the only consultants working for the DeSantis political machine, which itself is raising questions about that operation. A series of longtime operatives who have worked for Ron DeSantis, including on his failed 2024 presidential bid, are not considering working for Casey DeSantis if she runs. Florida pollster Ryan Tyson, who was a mainstay on Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign, and his top 2024 fundraiser, Makenzi Mahler, are among those who intend to sit out a bid by his wife. 'The first thing you need is a general consultant and a fundraiser,' said a national Republican operative not yet aligned in the race. 'She has none. That has to be the starting point, and I don't know how they get past that.' Trump did offer a double endorsement in the GOP primary in the Arizona governor's race, but his advisers told NBC News not to expect him to do it again in any race, including the Florida governor's contest. Trump advisers also view Donalds as doing what it takes to signal to Trump that he is willing to work to keep other potential GOP rivals boxed out. 'You have to work for something like this, and we see him doing that,' a Trump adviser said. 'There is no reason President Trump would deviate at this point.' Developments are expected to pick up after Florida's legislative session, which, after an extension because of a state budget fight, will go through the end of June. 'All eyes are on Casey and what she decides to do,' a longtime Republican familiar with her thought process said. 'A post-session decision is expected, and until she decides one way or the other, it all remains in flux.'
