Trump defends Pete Hegseth after report he lashed out at war secretary: One of my best

President Trump expressed full-throated support for War Secretary Pete Hegseth Thursday – a day after a report claimed the president accused the Pentagon chief of misleading him about the state of America’s arms stockpile. “I think he’s actually one of my best,” Trump said of Hegseth, in an interview with NBC News Thursday.“I’m very good at this stuff.” Six months into the Iran war, and with the critical midterm elections fast approaching, the president gave no indication that he plans to shake things up at the Pentagon. “Smart guy,” Trump said of Hegseth.

“He’s very much into it.Respected by the military.”The president’s praise for the former “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host follows a Washington Post report Wednesday that he lashed out at Hegseth during a Camp David Cabinet meeting last week. Trump reportedly fumed that munitions shortages threatened to limit US military options in Iran.

The president told Hegseth that he thought the issue “had been fixed,” according to the outlet, which claimed the war secretary blamed his deputy for the miscommunication. Both the White House and the Pentagon denied the Washington Post report, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt declaring it “B.S.” and War Department spokesman Sean Parnell calling it “fictional.” Earlier Thursday, Trump took to Truth Social and asserted the US “ has massive amounts of ‘munitions.’” “Additionally, large amounts are being manufactured and shipped to the US as needed,” Trump declared. The president also threatened to jail the “leakers” claiming the US is running out of firepower. “Defense companies are building the largest number of plants and factories in our country’s history,” Trump wrote.“The ‘leakers’ of these treasonous statements are being hunted down.

Long term jail sentences will be sought!”In a separate Truth Social post, Trump affirmed that he is “extremely happy with the job that Pete Hegseth is d...