Reporter Corners Trump on Not Knowing About a Key Ukraine Decision: ‘What Does It Say’ About You?
New York Times White House reporter Shawn McCreesh grilled President Donald Trump on Wednesday over his answer the day before that he didn’t know who paused 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 the president during a Q&A.
“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,” Trump replied.
“What does it say that such a big decision can be made inside your government without you knowing?” followed up McCreesh.
“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,” Trump said, dodging the thrust of the question.
On Tuesday, Trump told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, “I don’t know, why don’t you tell me,” after she asked who in his government paused the weapons shipments last week.
The exchange left many observers stunned as questions have reverberated around DC in recent days as to who exactly was behind the weapons pause.
On Friday, Republican Congressman Don Bacon (R-NE) suggested that top Pentagon official Elbridge Colby may have gone rogue in stopping U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine. Bacon, a former U.S. Air Force brigadier general, wrote on X Friday, “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 reported on Tuesday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a critic of the U.S. helping Ukraine fend off the Russian, invasion was behind the pause. “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,” reported CNN’s Natasha Bertrand and Zachary Cohen.
Watch the clip above via C-SPAN.
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