Pete Hegseth has rejected reports that the White House is considering removing his deputy, Steve Feinberg, insisting that the senior Department of War official “isn’t going anywhere”.
The comments came after Reuters reported that the White House had reviewed possible candidates to replace Feinberg, citing three people familiar with the discussions. The report said no decision had been taken to remove him.
Hegseth dismissed the claims in a post on X on Saturday, writing: “The Department of War has never had a better Deputy Secretary than Steve Feinberg. Stories like these are COMPLETELY false.”
He added that “outside forces” wanted Feinberg gone because he was pressing companies for results and advancing Donald Trump’s agenda, describing his leadership as “HISTORIC”.
The White House also rejected the suggestion that Feinberg’s position was under threat. Spokeswoman Anna Kelly said Mr Trump appreciated the work of Hegseth, Feinberg and the wider department.
Feinberg, a co-founder of the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, was appointed deputy secretary under Mr Trump. He has been involved in efforts to expand weapons production and strengthen the US defence industrial base.
His reported position came under scrutiny amid a wider period of upheaval at the Pentagon. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll left his post this week after reported tensions with Hegseth, while other senior military and civilian officials have also departed in recent months.
Despite the speculation, Feinberg remained listed as the Department of War’s deputy secretary on its official leadership page on Saturday.
