Trump flounders as reporter grills him over halt in Ukraine weapons as POTUS can’t say who gave the order

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump came under sharp questioning on Wednesday, July 9, after admitting he didn’t know who had ordered a recent halt in US weapons shipments to Ukraine. 

The exchange followed his unexpected announcement on July 7 that the US would resume military aid to Kyiv, a reversal of a pause initiated just days earlier by the Pentagon and White House. 

When asked during a televised Cabinet meeting on Tuesday who made the call to stop the shipments, Trump responded, “I don’t know. You tell me,” further deepening the confusion surrounding the decision.

President Trump pressed on Ukraine weapons pause amid confusion about who gave the order

Donald Trump faced pointed questions from New York Times White House reporter Shawn McCreesh, who pressed him about his earlier claim that he didn’t know who had ordered the halt in US weapons shipments to Ukraine.

“Sir, yesterday you said that you were not sure who ordered the munitions halted to Ukraine. Have you since been able to figure that out?” McCreesh asked during a Q&A session.

Trump replied, “Well, I haven’t thought about it because we’re looking at Ukraine right now and munitions, but I have no—I have not gone into it.”

McCreesh followed up sharply: “What does it say that such a big decision can be made inside your government without you knowing?”

Trump responded by insisting he would be the first to know if such a decision had been made, saying, “I would know if a decision was made. I will know. I’ll be the first to know. In fact, most likely, I’d give the order, but I haven’t done that yet,”

The exchange came just a day after Trump told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, “I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?” when asked who within his administration had paused the weapons shipments.

The unclear chain of command has raised eyebrows across Washington, as speculation continues over who was truly responsible for the pause, and why the president appeared to be out of the loop.

Trump’s response over weapons halt confusion sparks online debate

A video of Trump responding to a reporter’s question about the Ukraine weapons halt went viral on social media, sparking widespread mockery and criticism over his reaction. 

One user noticed, "His lips are moving but he’s not saying anything."

One more person added, "Huh? It happened. He said he didn't know but now he hasn't thought about it but if it did happen, he gave the order.  Wth"

A commenter said, "They should keep asking this question till he answers. It's an important question. When the pres doesn't know what's going on, who is running the gov??"

One outraged user slammed Trump over his ignorance of the weapons halt decision, "UNFIT!!"

A concerned user explained, "The Commander in Chief doesn’t even know key decisions about critical military aid shows a serious breakdown in leadership and communication. It’s concerning when major actions affecting national security and foreign policy happen without the president’s awareness or oversight."

One individual deemed, "What an absolute buffoon."

A social media user declared, "He is not aware of a lot that goes on with his admistration!"

The last user dubbed Trump's reply, "Dumbest answer ever."

Who ordered pause on US weapons shipments to Ukraine?

On Friday, Republican Congressman Don Bacon (R-NE) accused top Pentagon official Elbridge Colby of possibly going rogue by halting US weapons shipments to Ukraine.

Bacon raised the alarm on X, writing, “Congress wants answers here. Did Under Secretary Colby do this on his own without approval? The President said he was not notified nor did he approve the halt in weapon shipments to Ukraine.” 

CNN later reported on Tuesday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a vocal critic of US military support for Ukraine, was the one who ordered the pause. 

CNN's Natasha Bertrand and Zachary Cohen shared, "SecDef Hegseth did not inform the White House before he authorized a pause on weapons shipments to Ukraine last week, according to five sources familiar with the matter, setting off a scramble inside the administration to understand why the halt was implemented and explain it to Congress and the Ukrainian government."

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