RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from The Independent — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 1 sourcesPresident rages that any insiders who spoke to the press will be ‘hunted down’ and face ‘long term jail sentences’ after White House denies confrontation with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over weaponry used against Iran
Bookmark Comments Go to comments Bookmark popover Removed from bookmarks
President Donald Trump has reacted angrily to reporting that he confronted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a alleged munitions shortage caused by the Iran war , threatening the “leakers” who spoke to the press with jail.
The Washington Post reported Wednesday that Trump had accosted Hegseth at Camp David in Maryland after a Cabinet meeting last Friday, saying he thought the problem “had been fixed,” only for the White House to call the story “100 percent fake news.”
Trump in turn lashed out on Truth Social after midnight, writing: “The U.S. has massive amounts of ‘munitions,’ especially of certain types. Additionally, large amounts are being manufactured and shipped to the U.S. as needed.
“Defense companies are building the largest number of plants and factories in our country’s history. The ‘leakers’ of these treasonous statements are being hunted down. Long term jail sentences will be sought!”
The Post cited as the basis for its reporting two people familiar with the matter, who said Hegseth had answered the president by blaming his deputy, Stephen Feinberg, for the shortages and for not making sure Trump was fully informed.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded by telling the newspaper that the incident in question “literally never happened” and added that Trump “has the utmost confidence in Secretary Hegseth.”
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell also denied the story, telling the Post : “Secretary Hegseth did not mislead anyone about our munitions posture, and he did not blame Deputy Secretary Feinberg. These claims about depleted stockpiles, internal disagreements… are equally fictional.”
The Independent reached out to the White House, and was referred to Leavitt’s statement, and also to the Department of Defense for comment.
Hegseth had publicly praised Trump at Camp David for having the “courage to undertake Epic Fury and this Iranian regime and ensure they never have a nuclear weapon… and, frankly, the courage to negotiate with people that have shown no willingness to do so honestly.”
With the conflict now approaching its sixth month, the U.S. Army has reportedly significantly depleted its stockpile of long-range missiles , raising concerns about the military’s readiness for potential future engagements.
Sources told Reuters this week that “virtually all” of the Army’s crucial surface-to-surface weapons – the Army Tactical Missile Systems and Precision Strike Missiles – have now been utilised.
Analysts say such weapons, which cost over $1 million each, would be important should any conflict with China erupt.
A report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies released in late July similarly found that while the military had 2,330 Patriot systems and 452 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems before the war, it now has only an estimated 759 to 827 Patriots and 234 to 278 THAADs left.
Hegseth himself has previously sought to stamp out alleged leakers from the Pentagon , moving last year to make mandatory non-disclosure agreements and lie detector tests a requirement for staff.
However, 15 current and former officials subsequently told CNN the result had been the creation of a culture of distrust and paranoia that left staff uneasy and impaired decision-making.
Trump’s jail threat against the leakers meanwhile follows a similar warning he issued last month against the “vandals” and “sleazebags” he continues to insist sabotaged the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, who he said would “pay a big price for the damage done.”
The Department of Justice has since backed away from prosecuting four people accused of tearing up the pool, infuriating the president still further.
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.