CNN reports that President Donald Trump was aware of the U.S. military's ammunition depletion, contradicting suggestions he was misled, but was furious that the information leaked to the media. The report follows earlier coverage that Trump had directed the Justice Department to find 'traitorous' leakers.
A new CNN report, published Thursday evening, adds a significant twist to the day's rapidly unfolding story about the U.S. ammunition shortage. According to CNN, citing unnamed sources, President Donald Trump was aware of the depletion of ammunition stockpiles, contradicting the earlier Washington Post report that he was furious at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for allegedly misleading him. CNN reports that Trump's anger was instead directed at the leaks to the media, not the shortage itself. This development comes hours after Trump issued a series of public statements on the matter, and just minutes after The Zioneer reported that Trump had directed the Department of Justice to locate 'traitorous' leakers, indicating a multi-front effort to control the narrative.
The thread began early Thursday, when the Washington Post reported at 03:47 Jerusalem that Trump confronted Hegseth at Camp David over the weekend, claiming he was misled about ammunition levels. By 07:46 Jerusalem, Trump began responding with a series of statements: first claiming the U.S. has 'enormous quantities' of interceptors, then threatening to hunt down leakers and seek long prison sentences, then asserting a 'vast stockpile' of ammunition and expanding defense production, and finally vowing to build the largest defense industrial base in history. At 07:46, CNN also reported that Trump had tasked the Department of Justice with tracking down the leakers, citing six U.S. officials. The source quality has evolved from a single Washington Post report to multiple corroborating outlets and Trump's own on-record declarations. Now, CNN's latest report—based on unnamed sources—introduces a direct contradiction: Trump was not misled, but was aware and furious about the leaks instead.
The ammunition shortage story is set against a broader backdrop of U.S. military operations against Iran. As The Zioneer reported on Thursday (20:57 Jerusalem), the White House believes the leaks originate from anti-war elements seeking to prevent Trump from opening a new round of conflict with Iran. Earlier reports, including an NBC report from July 30, described Trump losing patience with the war effort, and a WSJ report from June 18 noted friction between Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu over military tactics. Trump himself threatened to 'behead' the Iranian regime on August 3, blaming leaks for compromising a planned operation.
Several questions remain open. The White House has not commented on the new CNN report, and the contradiction between the Washington Post's account of Trump being misled and CNN's account of Trump being aware has not been resolved. The exact extent of the ammunition shortage and the specific sources of the leaks also remain unverified. The Zioneer will continue to monitor developments.
6 developments
- DevelopingTrump warns leakers of munitions shortage reports could face long prison sentences
- DevelopingTrump: US has 'more ammunition than anywhere in the world,' rebuts Reuters report on missile shortage
- StrongNBC: Trump lost patience with Iran war, White House denies report
- StrongUS official warns Pentagon lacks sufficient munitions for sustained operations, says White House may not be aware
Source and signal
- Open-source intake