'I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?': Trump roasts reporter over Ukraine weapons pause – Did Hegseth or someone else make the call?

US President Donald Trump said he 'doesn't know' who initially ordered the pause of missiles and ammunition to Ukraine while talking to reporters during his Cabinet meeting at the White House on Tuesday (July 08). "I don't know, why don't you tell me?" Trump said in response to a reporter's question.

This comes after Trump publicly contradicted Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth during a White House dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump contradicts Hegseth on Ukraine aid

Speaking Monday night, Trump said the United States will send more “defensive weapons” to Kyiv despite a recent Pentagon decision to pause military assistance. “We’re going to send some more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves. They’re getting hit very hard now,” Trump said, while Hegseth, seated beside him, nodded along visibly. The move caught attention online, with some describing it as yet another public embarrassment for the former Fox News host, who has faced a string of such moments since taking over at the Pentagon.

Defence secretary’s authority under question

The Pentagon’s decision to pause weapons shipments, first reported by Politico, was reportedly driven by Elbridge Colby, a top policy official, and sparked pushback from Republican allies of Trump. Some accused defence officials of freezing aid without presidential approval, a claim the administration has denied.

Trump himself distanced from the move during a recent call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, reportedly saying he was not responsible for the delay.

White House says, 'It was a routine review'

On Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rejected suggestions the freeze was unauthorised. “This was a standard review by the Pentagon of all weapons and all aid and all support that the United States is providing all countries and all regions around the world, not just Ukraine,” she said. Leavitt insisted the review had been initiated by Hegseth himself as part of a wider evaluation of global defence commitments.

Pentagon confirms shipments will resume

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell issued a statement confirming new weapons will now be sent to Ukraine. “At President Trump’s direction, the Department of Defense is sending additional defensive weapons to Ukraine to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace,” he said. The Pentagon, however, declined to clarify when exactly the freeze began or when Hegseth was made aware of the president’s reversal.

Not the first time Trump has sidelined his defence chief

Trump’s public dismissal of the weapons pause is not the first time he has undercut Hegseth. Last month, Trump floated the idea of regime change in Iran shortly after Hegseth had declared the US operation “was not and has not been about regime change.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance had echoed similar messaging, only for Trump to dismantle it with a social media post.