President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth reportedly clashed during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David last week over the accusation that Hegseth misled him about US munitions shortages that could affect military operations against Iran, according to the Washington Post.
According to the report, which cited two people familiar with the exchange, Trump told Hegseth he thought the problem – a shortage of long-range and interceptor missiles – “had been fixed.”
A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., descends after conducting aerial refueling with a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron in support of Bomber Task Force 25-1 over the Pacific Ocean, Mar. 4, 2025. Bomber Task Force enhances readiness, to include joint and multilateral, to respond to any potential crisis or challenge in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Alec Carlberg)
A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 345th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, decends for landing at Ørland Air Base, Norway, during a Bomber Task Force Europe deployment, Aug. 9, 2025. The BTF mission highlights how we deliver effects rapidly across dynamic and contested environments through integrated training. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tambri Cason)
The Post article then stated that Hegseth, in turn, blamed Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg for failing to fully brief the president.
The White House And the Pentagon Flatly Deny Any Clash
The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, described the account of the Camp David exchange as “FAKE NEWS!” in a post on X. She wrote, “I was at Camp David with President Trump and Secretary Hegseth. This literally never happened.”
Leavitt added that “the President loves the Secretary and thinks he’s doing a tremendous job.”
The president was irate on Thursday, accusing the media of spreading “treasonous statements” and threatening that those responsible would be pursued.
“The ‘leakers’ of these treasonous statements are being hunted down,” he wrote on his Truth Social page. “Long-term jail sentences will be sought!”
Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell also denied the report in an official statement.
“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,” Parnell said.
Parnell added, “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, strengthen America’s defense industrial base, and ensure our warfighters have every capability they need to deter and defeat any adversary.”
Parnell said in a statement to NBC News that the Defense Department is “locked and loaded, ready to execute the president’s directives at a moment’s notice.”
“Secretary Hegseth, CENTCOM Commander Admiral Cooper, and Chairman Caine stand completely aligned and are united in mission, strategy, and resolve regarding overseas operations involving Iran,” he added.
The US Has Used 80 Percent Of Its Interceptors, CNN Says
CNN reported Wednesday that the US military has used nearly 80 percent of its interceptors in a key missile defense system and that senior commanders have warned Pentagon officials that the nation’s munitions stockpile is “dangerously low.”
According to the report, the US military has burned through nearly 80 percent of its THAAD missile inventory compared to pre-war numbers and roughly half of its Patriot interceptors since the start of the war, according to two sources familiar with the latest inventory report.
The Washington Post reported that the United States fired more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles, more than 1,000 Patriot and THAAD interceptors, and more than 1,300 Army tactical ballistic missiles during the first month of fighting.
A study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies on March 27 found that this was the largest number of such missiles that have ever been fired by the U.S. in any conflict, exceeding the 802 that were fired during Operation Iraqi Freedom, beginning in 2003.
The third-most was Operation Desert Fox, the 1998 launch of missiles at Iraq, with 325, while 288 were used in Operation Desert Storm in 1991, which was the first major war in which those missiles were used.
CSS also said that Tomahawks cost $3.6 million per shot, and that 850 such missiles “would account for around half of available launchers in the region.”
“The maximum rate of production is estimated to be 2,330 per year: Three contracts from Raytheon each have a capacity of 600, and a BAE has a contract to produce up to 530 missiles per year,” CBS News reported in late March, citing the CSIS report.
Reuters also reported that U.S. stocks of ATACMS missiles have been nearly depleted, while replacement production could take as long as two years.
Trump and Hegseth Dispute Missile Shortage
While the president has publicly stated that a large planned airstrike on Iran was canceled due to ongoing peace negotiations, these reported missile shortages were also factors behind Trump’s decision to cancel what he described as “the biggest attack since World War II,” on the Iranians.
The president posted, “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.”
Hegseth has also dismissed reports claiming the Pentagon is running dangerously low on key missile interceptors, accusing CNN of spreading “Fake News.”
“That banner is NOT TRUE. Shame on you,” Hegseth wrote on X, adding, “We don’t hate the Fake News media enough.”
This week, the Pentagon announced that it is expanding production of missile defense systems, with Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin entering two multi-year framework agreements worth $3 billion to increase output of PAC-3 MSE interceptors and THAAD systems.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
