Pentagon's No. 2 Official Steve Feinberg Faces Removal Amid Leadership Shakeup: Report
Key Takeaways
- •Reuters, citing three anonymous sources, reported that the White House is seeking a replacement for Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg while vetting possible successors.
- •Feinberg, billionaire co-founder of Cerberus Capital Management, a firm with investments in Pentagon contractors, pledged to accelerate munitions production depleted by the war with Iran, a goal not yet achieved.
- •The White House denied the report, with spokeswoman Anna Kelly saying the anonymous sources were wrong and that President Trump appreciates Feinberg's work; Hegseth also praised Feinberg's performance.
- •Any replacement would require Senate confirmation, and the White House has consulted senior senators since June on potential candidates, though no final decision has been made.
- •The reported shakeup follows Army Secretary Dan Driscoll's resignation this week and comes amid senior-level turnover that could affect Pentagon priorities like expanding the defense industrial base.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's top deputy is on the chopping block amid a leadership shakeup at the Pentagon, according to a new report.
Three anonymous sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters on Saturday that the White House is searching for a replacement for Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg.
Feinberg serves as Hegseth's second-in-command at the Defense Department. He is the billionaire co-founder of the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, which, according to the Washington Post, holds investments in companies that maintain Pentagon contracts. Before joining the Pentagon, Feinberg was known for keeping a low profile while running Cerberus, and his appointment placed a financier with deep ties to the defense industry in one of the department's most senior civilian roles.
According to Reuters, Feinberg vowed to accelerate the production of U.S. munitions, supplies that have been diminished by the ongoing war with Iran, but that goal has not yet been met. Munitions production capacity has been a recurring concern for the Pentagon as it balances support for allies with replenishing its own stockpiles, making the deputy secretary's industrial-base portfolio a high-stakes assignment.
The three anonymous sources who spoke to Reuters confirmed only that the White House is looking for replacements, without explaining why. As of June, the White House has been speaking with senior senators about which potential replacements could win confirmation, two of the sources told Reuters. The outreach to senators reflects that any replacement would need to clear Senate confirmation, a process that can prove contentious for senior Pentagon nominees.
However, the three sources said the White House has yet to make a final decision about removing Feinberg, noting only that it is vetting his possible successor.
The White House denied the claims when asked for comment by Reuters.
"These so-called anonymous 'sources' have no idea what they are talking about," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Reuters. "President Trump appreciates the work of Secretary Hegseth, Deputy Secretary Feinberg and the entire Department of War."
The Pentagon told Reuters that Feinberg had no comment and declined to make him available for an interview. Hegseth, however, provided Reuters with a statement.
Feinberg "has worked tirelessly to rebuild our Defense Industrial Base and ensure our military has everything it needs to win," Hegseth said in his statement. "He's doing a tremendous job for President Trump."
Reuters noted that such a move would signal a leadership change amid high staff turnover at the Pentagon. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll announced his resignation earlier this week, with sources telling Reuters the decision followed months of tension with Hegseth. Continued turnover at the department's most senior levels comes as the Pentagon is pursuing major policy priorities, including efforts to expand the defense industrial base, which depend heavily on stable civilian leadership.
