US President Donald Trump has denied reports of a conflict with War Minister Pete Hegseth, calling news coverage about military ammunition shortages treasonous. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump rejected claims of friction between the two leadership figures following media reports about constrained US weapon supplies.
Trump stated that he was extremely pleased with the work of Pete Hegseth and praised recent military operations. He highlighted a US operation against Venezuela that he said achieved results in less than one day to bring Nicolas Maduro to justice, while asserting that operations in Iran were progressing well to prevent the country from acquiring nuclear weapons. Trump also credited Hegseth with raising US military recruitment to historic levels.
Disputed Munition Shortages and Media Friction
The denial followed a report by The Washington Post, citing two sources, which claimed Trump sharply criticized Hegseth last week over a severe shortage of precision guided munitions. The reported shortfall involves guided long-range missiles and air defense interceptors needed for US military actions against Iran. Similar reports regarding American ammunition shortages were published by Reuters and CNN.
Trump attacked The Washington Post directly in his post, referring to the publication as The Washington ComPost and calling it one of the worst media outlets in the industry. He stated that the newspaper published false rumors after officials had informed them the article was incorrect, and he described the reporting as treason. Trump has previously denied weapon shortages and threatened prison time for individuals who leak such information.
International Weapon Demands and Middle East Talks
The reported stockpile constraints coincide with requests for military aid from abroad. Responding to a request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for anti-ballistic missiles for Patriot air defense systems, Trump stated that the United States also requires those weapons. Ukraine continues to experience shortages of Patriot missiles needed to shoot down regular Russian ballistic missile strikes.
Trump also commented on diplomatic developments, stating that very good negotiations took place with Iran regarding the opening of the Strait of Hormuz very soon. However, Secretary of State Rubio stated that no formal agreement has been reached yet. Military conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran began in late February and continues with varying intensity, affecting global oil prices and Ukrainian fuel markets without a final peace agreement.
