Max Lederer, the publisher of the US military news outlet Stars and Stripes, could face an early dismissal ahead of his scheduled retirement next month, according to a news report. This development comes days after the outlet published reports detailing deteriorating conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.
Pentagon officials have discussed firing Lederer, who has led the military daily for 19 years, CBS News reported, citing anonymous sources. Lederer had previously attributed his decision to retire soon to fundamental differences with the Trump administration.
In a letter to staff posted on X, Lederer stated, "It has become clear that my philosophy of leadership, and my understanding of value and mission of the Stars and Stripes, differ in fundamental ways from the direction of the leadership of the Department of Defense."
The outlet's reports on the USS Abraham Lincoln, which is on an extended deployment in the Middle East as part of the US-Israel war on Iran, were published earlier this month. It is not clear if these reports are linked to the reported discussions about Lederer within the Pentagon.
Stars and Stripes editor Erik Slavin previously indicated tensions with military leadership last month, stating his commitment to the publication's editorial independence from the Pentagon, which provides approximately 65% of its funding. Earlier this year, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell posted on X about modernizing Stars and Stripes, refocusing its content, and no longer using wire services like Reuters or the Associated Press.