Pentagon Papers

Cultural  

1. A classified study of the Vietnam War that was carried out by the Department of Defense. An official of the department, Daniel Ellsberg, gave copies of the study in 1971 to the New York Times and Washington Post. The Supreme Court upheld the right of the newspapers to publish the documents. In response, President Richard Nixon ordered some members of his staff, afterward called the “plumbers,” to stop such “leaks” of information. The “plumbers,” among other activities, broke into the office of Ellsberg's psychiatrist, looking for damaging information on him.

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Example Sentences

Thirty years later, Steven Spielberg would bring Pakula’s idea to fruition with “The Post,” about Graham’s decision to publish the Pentagon Papers, a dress rehearsal for the even higher stakes of Watergate a year later.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

The hotel, on West 54th Street, was where journalists examined the Pentagon Papers and where Donald Trump delivered a 2016 victory speech.

From New York Times • Dec. 4, 2024

The Pentagon Papers case famously held that these orders—known as prior restraints—are unconstitutional, even when the government claims national security is at stake.

From Slate • May 21, 2024

The history-making whistleblower leaked the Pentagon Papers, revealing longtime government deceit about the Vietnam War, and inspired acts of retaliation by President Richard Nixon.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 31, 2023

Russo took the stand and testified that it had been “an honor” to help Ellsberg copy the Pentagon Papers.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin