The White House has reviewed possible candidates to replace Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg, according to three people who spoke with Reuters.

The discussions suggest another leadership change could be considered inside a War Department already dealing with substantial turnover.

The review was underway in June and included conversations with senior senators about whether potential nominees could win confirmation, two sources said. One source claimed the process remained active as recently as late August, although Reuters could not determine when it began.

Still, the three sources acknowledged that no decision had been made to remove Feinberg. They also offered no explanation for the review and did not identify any potential replacements, leaving plenty of unanswered questions around the anonymous claims.

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White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly sharply rejected the report, saying, “These so called anonymous ‘sources’ have no idea what they are talking about.” Her response challenged the familiar Washington habit of using unnamed insiders to generate palace intrigue without putting a name behind the allegation.

“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,” Kelly said.

She cited the American military operations in Iran and Venezuela as evidence of the leadership team’s performance.

The War Department also denied that any replacement process was underway. Asked by Reuters about Feinberg’s status, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the deputy has his complete support and “isn’t going anywhere.”

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Feinberg, the billionaire cofounder of private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, would represent the most senior departure yet if he eventually left the administration.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned this week after months of reported tension with Hegseth, while Navy Secretary John Phelan and several senior Army officials have also departed.

Feinberg entered office promising to accelerate American munitions production, a difficult assignment after years of industrial neglect and slow procurement.

Analysts maintain that the military industrial base cannot expand rapidly, while industry executives have blamed congressional delays in appropriating money despite heavy pressure from the Trump administration.

Hegseth nevertheless offered an unequivocal defense of his deputy. Feinberg “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.

“He’s doing a tremendous job for President Trump, for the Department, and for our warfighters,” Hegseth added.

That is hardly the language of a War Secretary preparing to push his top deputy out the door.

The succession speculation arrives as President Trump has reportedly grown frustrated with the six month Iran conflict, which has become an expensive standoff.

American weapons stockpiles have drawn particular scrutiny, with Reuters reporting significant shortages of some munitions that have worried lawmakers and military leaders.

Trump has dismissed the alarm, saying the United States possesses “far more munitions than anyone in the world.”

The Washington Post separately reported that Hegseth blamed Feinberg during a Camp David exchange for shrinking inventories of long range guided missiles and air defense interceptors.

The White House branded that account “fake news.” Chief War Department spokesman Sean Parnell also rejected it, saying, “Secretary Hegseth did not mislead anyone about our munitions posture, and he did not blame Deputy Secretary Feinberg.”

Since President Trump appointed him last year, Feinberg has pursued a more aggressive approach to strengthening military production.

His strategy includes direct government investments in companies and loans to contractors through offices such as the Office of Strategic Capital and the newly established Economic Defense Unit.

In an August 18 memo reviewed by Reuters, Feinberg called on military contractors to increase production speed and provide greater transparency about prices.

That push reflects the administration’s broader effort to force an often sluggish acquisition system to deliver weapons faster for American troops.

Feinberg has also faced scrutiny from Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, who questioned whether Cerberus could benefit from War Department spending connected to the Golden Dome missile defense program. No evidence establishing such a benefit was cited in the report.

Parnell flatly dismissed the conflict allegation. “There are no conflicts of interest between Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg and Cerberus,” he said.

“He has completely divested from Cerberus and has recused himself from any conversations or business relationships between the Executive Branch and Cerberus,” Parnell added.

Cerberus did not respond to Reuters, while the War Department declined to provide a separate statement from Feinberg or make him available for an interview.

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