White House reviews potential replacements for Pentagon deputy

The White House has reviewed potential candidates to replace U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defence Steve Feinberg, according to three people familiar with the discussions, raising the possibility of another senior leadership change at the Pentagon.

The review was already underway in June and included discussions with senior Senate lawmakers about whether potential nominees would have enough support to secure confirmation, two of the sources told Reuters. One of them said the process was still ongoing as of late August.

No decision has been made to remove Feinberg, the sources said, and Reuters could not determine when the White House began considering possible replacements. The sources also did not provide a reason for the review or identify the candidates under consideration.

The Pentagon denied that a process to replace Feinberg was underway.

Feinberg, a billionaire and co-founder of private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, has served as the Pentagon’s No. 2 official under Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. His departure would represent the most senior leadership change at the department since President Donald Trump took office, amid a series of high-profile departures.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned this week following months of tension with Hegseth, according to a person familiar with the matter. The Army has not commented on the reasons for his departure. Navy Secretary John Phelan and several senior Army leaders have also left their positions in recent months.

Hegseth defended Feinberg’s performance, saying he had played an important role in strengthening the U.S. defence industry and military capabilities.

“[He] has worked tirelessly to rebuild our Defense Industrial Base and ‌ensure our ⁠military has everything it needs to win, and I look forward to continuing to work with him," Hegseth said in his statement to Reuters, adding, "He’s doing a tremendous job for President Trump, for the Department, and for our warfighters."

By Sabina Mammadli