The White House has reviewed candidates to potentially replace Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg, three people familiar with the discussions tell Reuters, a sign that more leadership change could come for a Pentagon already facing unusually high staff turnover.
The effort, under way in June, has included conversations with senior lawmakers in the Senate about whether the administration’s picks will have enough support to be confirmed, two of the sources say, one of whom adds that the review was still going on as of late August.
Reuters cannot determine when the White House began considering candidates.
The three sources add that no decision has been made to remove Feinberg from his post, but do not say why the White House is reviewing potential replacements and do not specify which candidates are under consideration.
“These so-called anonymous ‘sources’ have no idea what they are talking about,” says White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly.
“President Trump appreciates the work of Secretary Hegseth, Deputy Secretary Feinberg, and the entire Department of War, whose record of success in Operation Epic Fury, Operation Absolute Resolve, and Operation Midnight Hammer speaks for itself,” she adds, referring to US military operations in Iran and Venezuela.
