Trump denies rumors of conflict with Hegseth
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump has denied rumors of a conflict with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying he is satisfied with his work in a post on Truth Social.
Trump backs Hegseth
Trump publicly backed Hegseth, saying the Pentagon chief enjoys great respect among the military and has achieved significant results in his post.
Among Hegseth's achievements, Trump highlighted the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and record-high military recruitment.
He dismissed media reports suggesting tensions between them as fabricated and accused journalists of political bias.
"This rumor was started by The Washington ComPost, one of the worst media outlets in the business, despite our telling them their story is completely false," Trump wrote.
He added that he views these news reports as treason.
Commenting on his administration's overall track record in defense and national security, Trump highlighted several successful operations on the international stage.
"Everything has been extraordinary, including our attack on Venezuela, where the result was accomplished in less than one day, allowing us to bring one of the worst criminals anywhere in the world, Nicolas Maduro, to justice! Likewise, Iran, where the country has been decimated for the purpose of not allowing it to ever have a nuclear weapon, is going very well!" the president emphasized.
Missile shortages and reported Pentagon tensions
Amid large-scale military operations with Iran, the U.S. military is facing serious depletion of its weapons stockpiles.
According to media reports, the United States has depleted nearly 80% of its primary interceptor missiles used by air defense systems.
The fighting has significantly drained missile stockpiles for the THAAD and Patriot systems, forcing US military commanders to warn of dangerously low ammunition levels at the Pentagon.
The shortage affected planning for future military operations and decisions on potential additional strikes against Iran.
Media outlets also reported that the acute shortage created tension within the nation's leadership, sparking a rift between Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth over the country's missile deficit. The president expressed frustration and demanded answers as to why he was misled about the true state of the ammunition stockpiles.
Amid the crisis, military commanders are warning of risks to the defense industrial base, as the US has exhausted nearly 80% of its key air-defense interceptor missiles in the war with Iran.
