Donald Trump is threatening to throw people in jail over reports that his administration is scrambling to deal with dwindling U.S. missile stockpiles after months of military operations against Iran.
In a late-night Truth Social rant, the president lashed out at what he called “treasonous” leakers after reports claimed he confronted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over concerns that the conflict had significantly depleted key U.S. munitions.
“The ‘leakers’ of these treasonous statements are being hunted down,” Trump wrote. “Long term jail sentences will be sought!”
The outburst came after The Washington Post reported that Trump confronted Hegseth during a Cabinet retreat at Camp David last week, demanding to know why the reported weapons shortage hadn’t been resolved.
According to the newspaper, Hegseth responded by blaming Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg for failing to keep the president fully informed.
The White House denied the report.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the story as “100 percent fake news,” insisting the confrontation “literally never happened” and saying Trump has “the utmost confidence” in Hegseth.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell also rejected claims of depleted stockpiles or internal finger-pointing, calling reports of disagreements inside the administration “fictional.”
But concerns about America’s missile inventory aren’t limited to anonymous sources.
Reuters reported this week that the U.S. Army has used “virtually all” of its long-range surface-to-surface missiles—including Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles—during the conflict with Iran, which is now approaching its sixth month.
Defense analysts have warned those weapons would be critical in any future confrontation with China.
A recent analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies also concluded that U.S. stockpiles of Patriot and THAAD missile defense systems have fallen sharply since the conflict began, raising broader questions about military readiness.
Trump’s latest threat also follows a familiar pattern.
Last month, he vowed that people he accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool would “pay a big price.” Since then, the Justice Department has dropped cases against several people initially accused in connection with the incident.
Meanwhile, Hegseth has spent much of his tenure trying to root out leaks inside the Pentagon, requiring staff to sign nondisclosure agreements and, in some cases, submit to polygraph testing.
But according to multiple reports, current and former Defense Department officials say those efforts have created an atmosphere of fear and mistrust that has made decision-making inside the Pentagon more difficult.
Now, amid fresh questions about U.S. military preparedness, Trump appears focused on finding—and punishing—the people who talked to reporters.
