President Donald Trump on Thursday publicly endorsed War Secretary Pete Hegseth, asserting he is "one of my best" and "very much into" his role, amidst reports of a recent disagreement between the two concerning U.S. arms stockpiles.
Trump's comments came a day after a Washington Post report claimed the president had expressed frustration at a Camp David meeting, stating that munitions shortages threatened to limit military options in Iran and that he believed the issue had been resolved. The report further alleged that Hegseth blamed his deputy for the miscommunication.
Both the White House and the Pentagon have denied the veracity of the report. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the story as "B.S.," and War Department spokesman Sean Parnell described it as "fictional."
Earlier on Thursday, Trump took to social media platform Truth Social to assert that the U.S. possesses "massive amounts of ‘munitions’" and that more are being manufactured and shipped as needed. He also vowed to pursue "long term jail sentences" for individuals he described as "leakers" of such statements, deeming them "treasonous."
In a separate Truth Social post, Trump stated he was "extremely happy with the job that Pete Hegseth is doing," citing improvements such as the removal of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and historic increases in military recruitment. He also referenced the ongoing "attack on Venezuela" as an area where Hegseth has performed well.
During an interview with NBC News on Thursday, Trump was asked about speculation regarding Florida Governor Ron DeSantis potentially replacing Hegseth. Trump responded positively to DeSantis, stating, "I like Ron, but Pete’s doing a great job." He acknowledged a good relationship with DeSantis and suggested possibilities for him in other roles, but reiterated his satisfaction with Hegseth's performance. Trump had reportedly considered DeSantis for the Pentagon position in late 2024 due to concerns about Hegseth's Senate confirmation prospects. DeSantis's current term as Florida governor concludes in January.
