A publisher, editor and reporter at the federally funded news organization Stars and Stripes are suing the Pentagon, claiming Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other top officials had them fired over their critical reporting. The firings came after Stars and Stripes broke news about poor conditions, low morale and mental health crises aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln during its unprecedented deployment to the Middle East. President Trump called the reports “fake news.” In April, the White House fired Stars and Stripes independent ombudsman Jacqueline Smith without an official reason.