Overview

• OAN asked Gabrielle Cuccia to surrender her Pentagon badge on May 29 and officially relieved her of duty as chief Pentagon correspondent on May 30
• In a Substack post, Cuccia accused Secretary Hegseth’s department of imposing escort requirements for journalists and halting all Pentagon press briefings since January
• Cuccia, who served in Trump’s first White House and describes herself as a ‘MAGA girl,’ said she spoke out to defend press freedom against what she called government overreach
• One America News president Charles Herring declined to address whether the Defense Department or Hegseth played a role in the decision, citing the network’s policy on personnel matters
• Cuccia confirmed she has been contacted by prospective replacements seeking guidance on the responsibilities and conflict guidelines for OAN’s Pentagon correspondent role