Trump was unhappy to find out about the Pentagon chief’s controversial decision, which the president quickly reversed after a high-stakes meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon on June 26, 2025. (Andrew Harnik / ) Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary,

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth shared some photos of him celebrating Fourth of July with his family - and fans praised him while thanking him for his work in the government

In a recent interview, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis revealed his regrets over voting for Pete Hegseth to head the Defense Department.

When asked about the move during the meeting, Trump said only that the US would continue to send defensive weapons to Ukraine. Pressed by another reporter on who authorized the pause, Trump replied, "I don't know,

The White House reportedly offered to shield Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after he paused Ukraine weapons shipments without Donald Trump's approval.

The United States holds only about 25% of the Patriot missile interceptors required for all Pentagon military plans, after recent deployments depleted stockpiles in the Middle East. Source: The Guardian,

Sources told CNN that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who currently lacks a chief of staff or senior advisers, believed the move aligned with President Donald Trump's "America First" priorities.