U.S. President Donald Trump rejected a claim that he clashed with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over declining U.S. ammunition stocks during the conflict with Iran.
Trump called the claim baseless and voiced strong support for Hegseth. Trump said Hegseth enjoys great respect within the military and stated that the defense secretary had made significant improvements at the Pentagon, eliminated diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and increased military recruitment to historic levels.
Claims about the meeting
Trump allegedly demanded answers from Hegseth at a meeting in Camp David over ammunition shortages that limited the U.S. military’s options during the conflict with Iran.
Trump allegedly reacted after learning that shortages of some critical weapons, including long-range guided missiles and air-defense interceptors, were continuing even though he believed the problem had been resolved.
The ammunition shortages were alleged to have influenced Trump’s decision not to launch broader attacks against Iran in recent days. Hegseth allegedly defended himself at the meeting and blamed Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg for the shortages.
White House and Pentagon reject claims
The White House and Pentagon rejected the claim that Trump and Hegseth had argued in this context.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth had not misled anyone about the U.S. ammunition situation and described the claims as false.