US President Donald Trump confronted Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth during a meeting at Camp David after learning that the US military’s stockpile of critical weapons had fallen far lower than he believed.
According to The Washington Post, Trump demanded to know why he had apparently been misled about shortages of key missiles and air-defence systems, which have now begun limiting America’s military options in the Iran conflict.
The reported exchange took place on the sidelines of a Cabinet meeting last Friday. Two people familiar with the conversation told the newspaper that Trump angrily told Hegseth he believed the issue “had been fixed”.
Missile Shortages Forcing Military Rethink
The shortages involve long-range guided missiles and air-defence interceptors, weapons that have been heavily used since fighting with Iran escalated.
One source told the newspaper the depleted stockpiles were among the reasons Trump recently backed away from launching another large-scale strike on Iran.
Earlier this week, Trump revealed that he had approved but later cancelled what he described as “the biggest attack since World War II”, saying he wanted to give negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz another chance.
Despite concerns over supplies, Trump insisted on Truth Social that the United States still has “massive amounts” of munitions.
He wrote that “large amounts are being manufactured and shipped to the U.S. as needed”, while warning that the “‘leakers’ of these treasonous statements are being hunted down.”
War Rapidly Draining US Arsenal
The Washington Post reported that the US fired more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles, over 1,000 Patriot and THAAD interceptors, and more than 1,300 Army tactical ballistic missiles during the early weeks of the war.
One official said the stockpile of ATACMS tactical missiles has been depleted to the point that there is “basically none left”.
The shortage is also affecting Ukraine, which depends on Western air-defence systems to protect itself from Russian missile attacks. Limited supplies mean Washington is now reportedly making tougher decisions about when interceptor missiles should be used against incoming threats.
Report Says Hegseth Shifted Blame
According to people familiar with the Camp David conversation, Hegseth defended himself and blamed Deputy Defence Secretary Stephen Feinberg for failing to ensure Trump had a complete picture of the situation.
The reported disagreement comes as Trump’s frustration with Hegseth has reportedly grown. Officials told The Washington Post that Hegseth had been among the strongest advocates for military action against Iran, arguing it would be a quick and relatively straightforward operation.
White House And Pentagon Reject Report
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the report, saying, “This is 100% fake news. Literally never happened. And President Trump has the utmost confidence in Secretary Hegseth.”
Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell also rejected the allegations.
“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, the secretary’s position on Iran … are equally fictional”, he said.
Parnell also insisted, “Secretary Hegseth isn’t going anywhere, and he’s going to continue to work side by side with Deputy Secretary Feinberg to execute President Trump’s agenda.”
War Exposing Long-Term Supply Problems
Military officials have warned for months that the US was not prepared for a prolonged conflict.
Before the war began, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine reportedly cautioned Trump that existing stockpiles would struggle to support a lengthy campaign.
Since fighting started, the US has struck more than 13,000 targets in Iran and intercepted over 8,500 Iranian missiles and drones, placing unprecedented pressure on America’s weapons inventory.
Although the Pentagon has announced new manufacturing agreements, rebuilding those supplies will take time.
Army veteran and Foundation for Defence of Democracies senior director Brad Bowman said production cannot begin immediately because contracts and congressional funding are still needed.
The delay means replacing depleted inventories could take years.
“We’re often talking years between spending what we need to spend, getting the contracts signed, and delivery,” Bowman told the publication.
“You don’t just flip the switch, and suddenly the munition appears in the hands of the warfighter.”
