White House Weighs Replacing Deputy Pentagon Chief Feinberg

The White House has reviewed potential candidates to replace Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg, according to three people familiar with the discussions. The review, which began around June, included consultations with senior senators to gauge whether potential nominees could secure confirmation. Two sources said the process was still active as of late August, though no decision has been made to remove Feinberg from his post.

The Pentagon has denied any effort to replace Feinberg. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that Feinberg has his full support and "isn't going anywhere," praising his work on rebuilding the defense industrial base. A White House spokesperson dismissed the reports as coming from anonymous sources with no knowledge of the matter, adding that President Trump appreciates Feinberg's contributions.

Feinberg, a billionaire co-founder of Cerberus Capital Management, has faced challenges in accelerating U.S. munitions production. Analysts note that the industrial base cannot rapidly expand, while defense executives point to slow congressional appropriations as a complicating factor.

The review comes amid broader leadership turbulence at the Pentagon. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned this week after months of tension with Hegseth, following the departures of Navy Secretary John Phelan and several senior Army leaders.

Tensions have also emerged over the six-month-old Iran war and its toll on U.S. weapons stockpiles. Reports suggest Hegseth blamed Feinberg for shrinking inventories of long-range guided missiles and air-defense interceptors, though the Pentagon has denied this. Feinberg has also faced scrutiny from Senator Elizabeth Warren over potential conflicts of interest involving his former firm and the Golden Dome missile defense program, which the Pentagon denies.