White House reviewed replacing Pentagon deputy Feinberg, officials deny report
11 sourcesUpdated Sep 9, 2026
The White House has reviewed potential candidates to replace Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, according to three people familiar with the discussions, though no decision has been made to remove him. The review reportedly began in June and included consultations with senators about whether possible nominees could win confirmation, with discussions continuing into late August. The White House and Pentagon denied that a replacement process was underway, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Feinberg has his full support and “isn’t going anywhere.” Any departure would represent the most significant personnel change yet at a Pentagon that has experienced unusually high turnover under Hegseth, including the recent resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. The reasons for the reported review and the identities of potential replacements remain unclear.
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Revolving door at the Pentagon lately. Hard to run a stable defense department when leadership keeps getting shuffled around like this.
When officials "deny" something before any official announcement, that usually means it's already in motion behind the scenes.
