Here are three times when Trump wasn’t aware of what his secretary of defense was doing. Why isn’t this a bigger scandal?
1. **Pause on Ukraine Weapons Shipments (February 2025)**: Hegseth ordered the cancellation of 11 military aid flights to Ukraine carrying artillery shells and other weapons, without informing Trump or other top national security officials. The order, issued shortly after a January 30, 2025, Oval Office meeting, caused confusion among Ukrainian and Polish officials. Trump was unaware until questions arose, and the shipments resumed by February 5, 2025.[](
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/order-by-hegseth-cancel-ukraine-weapons-caught-white-house-off-guard-2025-05-06/)[](
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/06/canceled-ukraine-military-aid-shipments-trump-hegseth)[](
https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-pete-hegseth-aid-order-halt-us-military-aid-donald-trump-2068913)
2. **Second Pause on Ukraine Weapons Shipments (May 2025)**: Hegseth again unilaterally paused weapons shipments to Ukraine, including critical air defense missiles and artillery rounds. This move, supported by Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby, was not coordinated with the White House or Trump, who later reversed it after public and congressional backlash.[](
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/hegseth-halted-weapons-ukraine-military-analysis-aid-wouldnt-jeopardiz-rcna216790)[](
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/07/08/trump-ukraine-weapons-pause-hegseth/)
3. **Third Pause on Ukraine Weapons Shipments (July 2025)**: Hegseth authorized a pause on shipments of Patriot missiles, precision-guided GMLRS, Hellfire missiles, and Howitzer rounds to Ukraine without notifying Trump, the State Department, or key officials like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Keith Kellogg. Trump, caught off guard, reversed the decision on July 7, 2025, after expressing frustration during a cabinet meeting, stating, “I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?” when asked who authorized it.[](
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/08/politics/hegseth-did-not-inform-white-house-ukraine-weapons-pause)[](
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/hegseth-halted-weapons-ukraine-military-analysis-aid-wouldnt-jeopardiz-rcna216790)[](
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/trump-has-no-idea-what-hegseth-is-doing.html)