Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s top deputy is on the chopping block amid a leadership shakeup at the Pentagon, according to a new report.
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Three anonymous sources familiar with discussions told Reuters Saturday that the White House is looking for a replacement for Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg.
Feinberg is Hegseth’s second-in-command at the Defense Department and is the billionaire co-founder of the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, which, per the Washington Post, has investments in companies that maintain Pentagon contracts.
According to Reuters, Feinberg vowed to accelerate the production of U.S. munitions, which have been diminished by the ongoing war with Iran, but the goal has not yet been met.
The three anonymous sources who spoke to Reuters only confirmed that the White House is looking for replacements, but have not said why. As of June, the White House has been speaking with senior senators about which potential replacements can get confirmed, two of the sources told Reuters.
However, the three sources said that the White House has yet to make a final decision about removing Feinberg, only that it’s vetting his possible replacement. The White House denied the claims when asked for comment by Reuters.
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“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, gave Reuters a statement.
Feinberg “has worked tirelessly to rebuild our Defense Industrial Base and ensure our military has everything it needs to win,” Hegseth said to Reuters in his statement. “He’s doing a tremendous job for President Trump.”
Reuters noted that it would be a sign of leadership change amid high staff turnover at the Pentagon. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll announced his resignation earlier this week, with sources telling Reuters that the move came after months of tension with Hegseth.
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