Viewpoint discrimination occurs when the government treats speakers differently based on the point of view they express. The First Amendment prohibits the government from favoring or disfavoring speech because of the message it conveys. Courts apply strict scrutiny to viewpoint-discriminatory rules, and such rules are almost always found unconstitutional. The Pentagon press credential case is a recent example: Judge Paul Friedman ruled in March 2026 that the Pentagon's credentialing policy illegally targeted journalists whose coverage it viewed unfavorably while favoring outlets that expressed support for the Trump administration.