Trump demands answers from Defence Secretary over missile shortage

US President Donald Trump has demanded an explanation from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth over why he was not fully briefed on the severity of American missile and interceptor shortages, according to reporting by The Washington Post. The confrontation highlights growing tensions between the president and his Defence Secretary over military readiness and intelligence sharing within the Trump administration. Trump, who campaigned on promises of rapid military victories, has become increasingly concerned about gaps in America’s defensive capabilities. The exchange suggests the president was unaware of the full extent of the nation’s depleted stocks of critical air defence systems until recently. Hegseth reportedly deflected blame onto his deputy, Steven Feinberg, claiming that Feinberg had failed to ensure Trump was adequately informed about the gravity of the situation. The incident raises questions about communication channels within the Pentagon and whether senior military officials are properly updating the commander-in-chief on vulnerabilities in America’s arsenal. Officials have grown increasingly vocal about supply chain pressures affecting the production of missiles and interceptors needed for national defence, particularly as geopolitical tensions remain elevated.

Source: Maariv — Original article in Hebrew.