Fired Stars and Stripes journalists sue Trump administration alleging censorship

Three journalists from the military news outlet Stars and Stripes have filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging their recent dismissals constitute censorship and violate their First Amendment rights. Publisher Max Lederer, editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, and reporter Lara Korte were fired after an August 21 decision, following what they describe as escalating pressure from the Pentagon. The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, August 27, 2026, names Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other Pentagon officials as defendants.

The journalists claim their firings were in retaliation for a CBS News interview in July where they defended the editorial independence of Stars and Stripes, and for an August 11 report detailing poor conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. According to the lawsuit, Lederer was ordered to fire Slavin and Korte for insubordination related to their CBS comments but refused, instead announcing his retirement. All three then received separation notices.

The legal challenge seeks to halt their terminations and asserts that Stars and Stripes, though partially funded by the Defense Department, is legally mandated to operate with editorial independence. The plaintiffs argue that the administration's actions are part of a broader effort to exert control over the publication and its reporting. The Pentagon has not commented on the ongoing litigation.