The Pentagon barred press photographers from Iran war briefings because Defence Secretary Hegseth’s staff thought his March 2 photos didn’t flatter him. AP, Reuters, and Getty were all shut out. Only DOD staff photographers have been allowed since.

Not a joke. Not even North Korea.

Speaking of which, Kim Jong Un’s personal photographer was once expelled from the Workers’ Party when he cast an unflattering shadow on the leader’s neck. Camera flash and done.

Every government that controls its photographic record is a totalitarian state, an authoritarian regime, or a democracy generating a major press freedom scandal and promising to never do it again. There is no precedent in any democratic country for a defence official banning press photographers during a war because he can’t handle the truth. The closest parallels are personality cults.

The stupidity of Hegseth isn’t even incidental either, it’s the diagnostic for Trump team incompetence. Competent authoritarians offer some kind of policy rationale. Haw Haw Hegseth can’t even be bothered.