Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is taking the fall for a pause on weapons deliveries to Ukraine that left President Donald Trump looking particularly clueless earlier this month. Hegseth is said to have authorized the move to halt deliveries of crucial air-defense components without notifying the president or the White House of the decision,

Republican senators say reports that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth froze weapons shipments to Ukraine without getting approval from President Trump raise serious questions about the level of coordination between the White House and Pentagon and warrants a closer review of the matter by Congress.

Republican senators have signaled a willingness to hold hearings over defense secretary Pete Hegseth pausing weapons shipments to Ukraine without the approval of president Donald Trump. Republicans expressed concerns to The Hill both on and off the record,

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

As CNN reports, Hegseth’s rogue move led to chaos in the White House, with the Trump administration frantically trying to figure out why the weapons shipments had been stopped—then having to justify the action to both Congress and the Ukrainian government.

In the video, which has been making the rounds across social media, Hegseth stands on the lawn of the Pentagon while a small drone hovers above him, holding a memo for the secretary to sign.