‘America can fight an 8-day war, then… nuclear': Ex-Pentagon adviser says US must stop sending weapons abroad

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Ex-Pentagon adviser Douglas Macgregor warns the US has only eight days' worth of missile stockpiles, suggesting America may be forced to rely on nuclear options if drawn into a prolonged war. read more
A former Pentagon adviser has issued a stark warning about the state of America's military readiness, claiming the United States has only enough offensive and defensive missiles to sustain combat for eight days before facing the prospect of resorting to nuclear weapons.
Retired Colonel Douglas Macgregor, who served as a senior adviser to the Secretary of Defence during the Trump administration, made the alarming claim in a post on X (formerly Twitter), urging the US to immediately halt the export of weapons abroad.
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America needs to stop sending weapons abroad.
Very reliable sources tell me we have roughly 8 days of offensive and defensive missiles on hand and readily available.
Translation, we can fight an 8 days war and then we would have to go nuclear. — Douglas Macgregor (@DougAMacgregor) July 18, 2025
The comments come amid renewed concerns over America's depleting military stockpiles, particularly in light of its continued military aid to Ukraine. Just days before Macgregor's post, President Donald Trump announced a major new shipment of American weapons to Kyiv in a reversal of his earlier calls for restraint on military support.
Trump's move was welcomed by Ukrainian officials, who hailed it as a vital lifeline in their ongoing defence against Russian aggression. However, analysts have raised concerns about whether the scale of US military assistance is sustainable given the strain on domestic reserves.
Reports in recent months have pointed to the Pentagon's difficulty in replenishing high-grade weapons systems and munitions after years of support for Ukraine. The US military has already acknowledged that some key arms deliveries including long-range missiles, Patriot interceptors and 155mm shells are facing production bottlenecks and supply delays.
Macgregor's remarks have amplified calls within conservative circles to reassess America's foreign military commitments. Critics argue that continued exports are risking the country's ability to respond to a future major conflict involving peer adversaries.
The issue is further complicated by growing tensions with Russia, which has strongly criticised Western arms shipments to Ukraine. Moscow has accused Ukrainian forces of using long-range weapons supplied by the US and its allies to strike civilian areas on Russian territory, alleging that these actions sabotage peace efforts.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously warned that the deployment of such systems could fundamentally alter the character of the conflict. 'We will make the necessary decisions based on the threats we face,' Putin said recently, suggesting that the Kremlin could reconsider its military calculus if NATO countries are perceived to be directly involved in the war.
As the Biden administration and Trump's political team contend with domestic and international pressure, questions remain about whether Washington can balance global military commitments with national defence readiness.