Secretary of War Pete Hegseth shredded CNN after the network aired a report stating that U.S. military stockpiles had fallen “dangerously low” during the current war effort in Iran. Hegseth addressed a chyron that ran on the network that stated U.S. forces had used up almost 80% of key missile interceptors and that top commanders were warning the administration about depleted stockpiles.
The banner, which was discussed by anchor Kasie Hunt, said, “Sources: U.S. has used nearly 80% of key missile interceptors in Iran war, top commanders warn stockpiles ‘dangerously low.’” Hegseth got on social media platform X where he accused CNN of spreading misinformation concerning American readiness.
“That banner is NOT TRUE,” wrote the secretary of war. “Shame on you. We don’t hate the Fake News media enough.” The network’s written report on the topic, authored by Zachary Cohen, Jim Sciutto, and Haley Britzky, cited several sources who are familiar with Pentagon assessments. These sources allegedly told the reporters that the U.S. has already burned through significant portions of key air-defense inventories during the current conflict.
The report also said that the U.S. military used up 80% of its THAAD interceptors, along with half of its Patriot missiles. The sources then told CNN that senior leaders within the military have been warning the administration that stockpiles are getting “dangerously low.” The report hit as the White House is trying to show an image of strength on the geopolitical stage while simultaneously reassuring citizens that the armed forces still have the tools needed to carry out President Donald Trump’s objectives.
According to a report from Trending Politics News, CNN stated that concerns were raised before Trump announced on August 1, 2026, that he planned to “hold off any attack” because “the perimeters of a deal have been agreed to.” However, the president also made it clear that America was ready to strike if doing so became necessary.
“The U.S.A. is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II,” he said. Another report stated that the U.S. Army has used “virtually all” of its Army Tactical Missile Systems and Precision Strike Missiles during the five-month-long war with Iran.
Those particular weapons are long-range precision missiles designed to hit targets from safer distances. Each missile costs roughly a million dollars. The White House has pushed back against CNN’s claims concerning stockpiles in statements both to the network and Reuters. Trump told Reuters that the U.S. has “far more munitions than anyone in the world” adding, “far more than we need.”
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White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told CNN that the U.S. military “has more than enough munitions, ammo, and stockpiles to serve all of President Trump’s strategic goals and beyond.” The back-and-forth between the media and the Trump administration highlights the great divide that exists between the two institutions on the topic of military reporting.
Hegseth treated the story as an example of the press attempting to undermine confidence in the U.S. military while American forces are still deployed in action. The debate over military stockpiles comes as the president’s team has applied pressure to defense contractors to increase production and refill key munitions after years of strain from Ukraine, the Middle East, and Iran.
Watch Hegseth shut down a Democratic senator who started screaming at him here: