Pentagon officials denied the narrative perpetuated by President Donald Trump that there was a lack of communication between the department and the White House regarding the temporary suspension of military aid to Ukraine.

The news that certain air defense munitions and other precision munitions were being withheld from Ukraine first emerged last week, which Trump combated publicly on Monday. The president suggested on Tuesday that he was unaware of who was responsible for the halt.

Recommended Stories

• Houthis attack second ship in Red Sea this week, killing three
• Trump’s had enough of Putin’s BS; sends weapons, mulls sanctions
• Army looking to teach soldiers how to shave properly

When pressed on who ordered it during his Cabinet meeting, Trump said, “I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me.”

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said last week the department is conducting a “capability review,” designed to “ensure U.S. military aid aligns with our defense priorities.” He accused the Biden administration of “giving away weapons and munitions without really thinking about how many we have.”

Parnell emphasized that while the stoppage of aid was linked to concerns about depleted U.S. stockpiles, the military maintained all the equipment necessary to carry out any operation it needed.

On Tuesday, Parnell denied the details of a CNN article that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth did not inform the White House before he authorized the pause, and reporting from Politico about the Pentagon’s top policy chief, Elbridge Colby, getting ahead of the administration on foreign policy decisions.

Regarding the CNN article, Parnell fired back, “First of all, this story is a complete & total fabrication. On a related note, one of the CNN ‘journalists’ involved in this fake narrative is a well established hoaxer. We made sure to mention that in our comment but CNN omitted it from the story.”

He subsequently quoted Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson as saying, “This CNN reporter, who is a proven hoaxer, is trying to sow division where none exists. It is the job of the Secretary of Defense to make military recommendations to the Commander-in-Chief. Secretary Hegseth provided a framework for the President to evaluate military aid shipments and assess existing stockpiles. This effort was coordinated across the government. The Department will continue to give the President robust options regarding military aid to Ukraine, consistent with his goal of bringing this tragic war to an end and putting America First.”

The “hoaxer” in question is likely in reference to Natasha Bertrand, CNN’s Pentagon reporter, and one of the two bylines on the story. The Pentagon has taken issue with Bertrand’s reporting, particularly her recent coverage of the Iran nuclear facilities operation.

On the Politico story, Parnell accused the outlet of “pushing a totally fabricated story, too.”

“This type of anonymous, gossip column trash would make the National Enquirer jealous,” he said. “The entire purpose of Undersecretary Colby’s job is to provide policy recommendations to Secretary Hegseth, and his advice has proved to be invaluable. There is zero daylight between Secretary Hegseth and Undersecretary Colby. The Department has achieved great success under the leadership of Secretary Hegseth and will continue to function as a cohesive force.”

The apparent lack of communication is largely representative of the chaotic nature that has ensnared Hegseth’s first six months leading the department. He briefly paused aid to Ukraine after Trump’s blowup in the Oval Office with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Feb. 28, shared sensitive details about impending military operations on an unsecure platform, doesn’t have a chief of staff, and has fired multiple advisers whom he accused of leaking information to the media.

The administration more broadly has sought to prioritize ending the war instead of arming Ukraine to support it, like the Biden administration had done.

In testimony on Capitol Hill last month, Hegseth told senators that the “president is committed to peace” when asked about whom he “wants to win” the conflict. He said it “remains to be seen” whether Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to limit his expansionist goals to just Ukraine.

UKRAINE EMPHASIZES NEED FOR AIR DEFENSE IN WAKE OF US AID BEING WITHHELD

During the Cabinet meeting, Trump expressed more frustration toward Putin than he has since becoming president.

“We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin if you want to know the truth,” Trump said. “He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”