A journalist said the Department of Defense fired her for stating publicly that she works for Stars and Stripes, not the Pentagon.

In a Friday post on X, Lara Korte, who covered the Middle East for the military newspaper, announced her dismissal and criticized the Pentagon's treatment of the outlet, which has faced mounting pressure from the Trump administration's Department of Defense.

Stars and Stripes was first printed by Union soldiers in 1861 and is distributed to U.S. service members at home and deployed overseas. It is financed through the Defense Department budget, but has long operated with editorial independence from Pentagon control — the very separation Korte described herself as upholding.

"Today, I was informed that the Department of Defense is firing me for insubordination," Korte wrote. "I told a CBS reporter that I work for Stars and Stripes – not the Pentagon, not any administration, and not any policy maker."

The announcement drew swift outrage from critics of the Trump administration who sympathized with Korte and the newspaper.

"Outrageous and sad," wrote George Conway, Kellyanne Conway's ex-husband and now a Democratic congressional candidate. "Decades have been devoted to building up the credibility of this publication to earn the trust of everyone in uniform—credibility and trust now being summarily destroyed by narcissistic and ignorant hacks like [Defense Secretary Pete] Hegseth."

"Being fired by Pete Hegseth is a badge of honor," said veteran political analyst Bill Kristol.

"Thank you for your service," wrote political blogger and Kash Patel foe Jim Stewartson.

"Lara is a great reporter and a person of integrity," senior Politico reporter Jeremy White wrote. "You should hire her, and more broadly, support journalists having the independence they need to hold the powerful to account."

Korte added, "I consider it a great privilege to live alongside members of the military and share their stories," and criticized the Pentagon, saying "it's a shame for the institution and service members, who swore to defend the Constitution and deserve the right to a free and independent press."

Reports emerged on Friday that the Pentagon fired the paper's publisher before he could retire next month, along with the editor-in-chief. Earlier this year, the Trump administration fired Jaqueline Smith, the ombudsman of Stars and Stripes, prompting her to warn that "there's a very real threat" facing the Pentagon's paper of record.

The pressure is not unprecedented. The first Trump administration proposed eliminating the paper's federal funding in its 2021 budget, and Congress restored the money after bipartisan objections. With the ombudsman, publisher, and editor-in-chief all removed this year, the paper's remaining newsroom continues to operate on money appropriated through the same department it covers.