Blumenthal, Warren & Shaheen Demand Answers from Hegseth Following Leadership Shake-Up at Stars and Stripes

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), senior members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, are demanding answers from the Department of Defense on the recent placement of an active duty servicemember to serve as a “deputy” to the publisher at Stars and Stripes, a newspaper that has maintained editorial independence since the Civil War. Following the Department’s decision, Stars and Stripes publisher Max Lederer announced Tuesday he will retire after more than three decades at the newspaper, citing fundamental differences between his understanding of the value and mission of Stars and Stripes and the Department’s plans for the organization.

“The placement of an active-duty Public Affairs officer in the senior leadership of an organization whose credibility depends on its independence from the military chain of command raises serious questions,” the Senators wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. “Mr. Lederer’s abrupt departure only heightens those concerns, particularly as the Department determines who will assume leadership of Stars and Stripes. This is particularly troubling in light of the Department’s recent actions affecting Stars and Stripes, including the April firing of independent Ombudsman Jacqueline Smith after she publicly defended the newspaper’s editorial independence and communicated concerns to Congress.”

The Senators demanded answers on whether this active duty servicemember will serve as the acting or permanent Publisher following Mr. Lederer’s departure, and what process the Department will use to select Mr. Lederer’s successor. The Trump Administration has increasingly taken aim at controlling Stars and Stripes as part of its larger efforts to restrict freedom of press at the Pentagon.

In January, Stars and Stripes job applicants were asked to explain how they would advance the Administration’s policy priorities, and the Pentagon’s top public affairs official announced plans to overhaul the newspaper. In March, the Pentagon further accused the newspaper of focusing on “woke distractions” and imposed new restrictions on the independent publication. In April, the Department fired Stars and Stripes ombudsman Jacqueline Smith—a non-partial watchdog charged with monitoring the paper’s independence.

The Senators concluded: “For generations, American servicemembers, particularly those stationed overseas and in combat zones, have relied on Stars and Stripes for credible and independent news. That trust depends on preserving a clear separation between independent journalism and the Department’s public affairs apparatus. At this critical moment of leadership transition, that independence must not be compromised.”

In June, Senators Blumenthal and Shaheen secured a provision to codify the editorial independence of Stars and Stripes in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2027. The Senators’ language would deliver landmark protections for the editorial independence of Stars and Stripes—ensuring the newspaper remains free from censorship, propaganda, and interference from the Pentagon. The provision’s language comes from the Senators’ Stars and Stripes Editorial Independence Act—legislation that clarifies Stars and Stripes’ editorial operations are independent of the military chain of command, military public affairs activities, or other external influences.

The full text of the Senators’ letter is available here and linked below.

Dear Secretary Hegseth,

We write to express our continued concern about the degradation of the longstanding editorial independence of Stars and Stripes. Most recently, our offices have been informed that the Department of Defense assigned an active-duty Public Affairs officer to serve as a “deputy” to Stars and Stripes Publisher Max Lederer, reportedly without consultation with Mr. Lederer. On August 18, Mr. Lederer announced that he will retire after more than three decades at Stars and Stripes, including nearly two decades as Publisher, citing fundamental differences between his understanding of the value and mission of Stars and Stripes and the Department’s plans for the organization.

The placement of an active-duty Public Affairs officer in the senior leadership of an organization whose credibility depends on its independence from the military chain of command raises serious questions. Mr. Lederer’s abrupt departure only heightens those concerns, particularly as the Department determines who will assume leadership of Stars and Stripes. This is particularly troubling in light of the Department’s recent actions affecting Stars and Stripes, including the April firing of independent Ombudsman Jacqueline Smith after she publicly defended the newspaper’s editorial independence and communicated concerns to Congress.

We therefore request that you provide, no later than August 28, a detailed explanation of this assignment, including who directed it; the officer’s duties, authorities, and reporting chain; whether the officer will have any role in editorial, personnel, budgetary, or management decisions; whether the officer will serve as acting or permanent Publisher following Mr. Lederer’s departure; and what process and qualifications the Department will use to select Mr. Lederer’s successor. Please also explain what safeguards the Department has put in place to ensure that this officer, or any other Department official, cannot direct, influence, review, or interfere with Stars and Stripes’ editorial decisions or coverage.

For generations, American servicemembers, particularly those stationed overseas and in combat zones, have relied on Stars and Stripes for credible and independent news. That trust depends on preserving a clear separation between independent journalism and the Department’s public affairs apparatus. At this critical moment of leadership transition, that independence must not be compromised. We urge you to preserve that independence and provide prompt answers regarding these latest developments.

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