The Pentagon is contemplating the termination of Max Lederer, the publisher of the military newspaper Stars and Stripes, prior to his scheduled retirement at the end of September. A U.S. official familiar with the matter cited Lederer's "poor job performance" as the primary reason for the potential dismissal, with "insubordination" reportedly pushing the decision further.
Lederer, an Army veteran who has been with Stars and Stripes since 1992, informed staff of his retirement, stating "fundamental" differences with Pentagon leadership regarding the paper's direction. "I have thought a great deal about the right time to step aside, and I have concluded that this is it," Lederer wrote in a message to staff, according to a Stars and Stripes report. Erik Slavin, the editor-in-chief of Stars and Stripes, stated, "For decades, Max Lederer championed the interests of service members and their families by supporting their access to credible reporting, independent of the military chain of command."
Competing accounts exist regarding the newspaper's operational status. Pentagon sources assert a decline in both digital and print readership, claiming a 30% drop in unique website visitors from 20 million annually in 2019 to 14 million in 2024. They also report a decrease in print deliveries from seven million to 6.2 million annually over the same period. These 2019 figures originate from a 2021 congressional letter, contrasted with 2024 data from the Stars and Stripes website.
However, a source closely involved with Stars and Stripes operations disputed these claims, pointing to 42 million page views from August 2025 to July 2026 and what they describe as "strong growth in video and social engagement." This source also reported 23 million unique visitors during the same period, according to Google Analytics, and noted that the 6.2 million printed copies represent only the U.S. weekly edition, excluding international distribution to service members.
Discrepancies also surround the newspaper's funding. A Pentagon source suggests that up to 65% of its budget is taxpayer-funded, while a source familiar with the paper's operations states it is closer to half. The annual budget is reportedly between $27 million and $29 million.
Sources indicate Lederer faces criticism for not modernizing the publication and for its perceived overreliance on newswire services, with $411,000 allocated to such services in 2026. However, the outlet has reportedly reduced its spending on wire services.
The Pentagon announced plans to overhaul Stars and Stripes earlier in 2026. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated at the time, "The Department of War is returning Stars & Stripes to its original mission: reporting for our warfighters." He added that the department would "modernize its operations, refocus its content away from woke distractions that syphon morale, and adapt it to serve a new generation of service members." Parnell further elaborated that the publication "will be custom tailored to our warfighters. It will focus on warfighting, weapons systems, fitness, lethality, survivability, and ALL THINGS MILITARY. No more repurposed DC gossip columns; no more Associated Press reprints."
Earlier in 2026, the Pentagon dismissed the Stars and Stripes ombudsman, who had been a vocal critic of the Trump administration's oversight of the newspaper.
