The White House has vehemently denied reports of a confrontation between President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over critically low U.S. ammunition stockpiles, dismissing accounts of the exchange as fabricated.
The dispute allegedly erupted last Friday at Camp David, where Trump demanded explanations for what he saw as being misled about severe shortages of long-range guided missiles and air defense interceptors. Hegseth reportedly blamed his deputy Stephen Feinberg for both the shortfalls and the failure to keep the president informed. Feinberg then convened an emergency meeting with senior military and procurement officials that evening to address the gaps. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt called the story "100 percent fake news", while Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell echoed the denial.
The shortages, including a dramatic drawdown of Patriot interceptors, have constrained U.S. strike options against Iran. Trump insisted the military holds "massive amounts" of ammunition and warned of long prison sentences for leakers.