Media: Pentagon discusses possible firing of Stars and Stripes publisher

U.S. Pentagon officials have discussed removing the longtime publisher of Stars and Stripes before his planned retirement, as the Trump administration considers changes to the military news outlet, U.S. officials told CBS News.

Max Lederer, who has served as publisher for 19 years and worked at Stars and Stripes for three decades, told colleagues this week that he would retire on September 30. He cited fundamental differences with the Trump administration.

The timing of any decision on the outlet’s leadership remains unclear. The U.S. Defence Department did not immediately comment.

Stars and Stripes receives about $15 million in taxpayer funding, roughly half of its annual $29 million budget, according to a person familiar with the newspaper’s operations. The remainder comes from subscriptions and advertising.

Despite receiving public funding, the newspaper has long maintained editorial independence from the Pentagon’s public affairs operations. It has recently covered the war in the Middle East and its impact on U.S. service members, including reporting on families of sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln questioning Navy officials over the carrier’s lengthy deployment.

The potential leadership change comes amid broader tensions between the Trump administration and media organisations covering the U.S. military. Several news organisations, including CBS News, were required to leave their workspaces at the Pentagon in 2025 unless they agreed to new administration policies.

Stars and Stripes has also faced internal disputes over editorial independence. Its ombudsman, Jacqueline Smith, was fired in April shortly after publishing an opinion column criticising restrictions she said had been placed on wire copy and syndicated material. Smith later sued the Pentagon, alleging that her dismissal was retaliatory and violated her First Amendment rights.

Lederer’s retirement comes as Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon has sought greater editorial control and moved to eliminate what it describes as “woke distractions.”

By Sabina Mammadli