US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll Expected To Resign Amid Ongoing Tensions With Pete Hegseth

US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has submitted his resignation, the White House confirmed Monday, following months of tension with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Asked about a Wall Street Journal report that Driscoll had resigned, White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly did not deny it, instead issuing a statement praising his tenure. "Secretary Driscoll has been highly effective in advancing President Trump's agenda to Make America Strong Again at the Department of the Army by providing outstanding leadership during historic military operations, restoring an emphasis on readiness and lethality, assisting with negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and more," Kelly said, adding that the Army is "more powerful than ever" as a result of his work.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Driscoll spoke with President Trump about the current state of the Army before formally submitting his resignation. One source indicated that Driscoll raised concerns with the administration regarding Army transformation and readiness efforts, and specifically criticized Hegseth for blocking those initiatives by removing generals responsible for carrying them out. Other modernization efforts reportedly stalled under Hegseth include incorporating lessons from Ukrainian battlefield warfare and advancing drone capabilities within the Army's ranks.

Driscoll, an Army veteran who has served in the role since February 2025, had long been the subject of speculation about a potential departure from the administration. NBC News reported last week that he had told close associates he wanted to leave by Labor Day, and he reportedly visited the White House in the days beforehand to discuss his future, though the outcome of that meeting was not immediately clear. One US official said Hegseth had come to view Driscoll as a threat within the Pentagon bureaucracy and had long sought his removal, but that Driscoll's close relationship with Vice President JD Vance made such a move difficult. Driscoll and Vance were classmates at Yale Law School and have remained close friends, a relationship that reportedly deepened tensions with Hegseth, who has been described by multiple sources as distrustful of officials he views as bypassing him to reach the White House directly.

Also Read: Marco Rubio Reveals Hilarious Neighbor Story Involving Pete Hegseth’s ‘Arrogant’ Cat

The tension between the two officials had been building for months and reportedly escalated further after Hegseth removed several senior Pentagon officials, including Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George and Navy Secretary John Phelan earlier this year. Hegseth also intervened to block the promotions of multiple Army officers after Driscoll declined to do so himself, a move that drew attention from the White House, which reviews senior military promotion lists before they are forwarded to the Senate for confirmation. Driscoll's resignation comes as the broader Pentagon leadership has undergone significant turnover under Hegseth's tenure, with the defense secretary moving aggressively to reshape senior military ranks since taking office.

Driscoll's departure also comes roughly six months into the ongoing US war with Iran, a conflict that some military leaders have reportedly cautioned is unsustainable in its current form. Despite the tensions with Hegseth, one source noted that Driscoll had long communicated an expected tenure of around 23 months, describing it as necessary to implement lasting institutional change, and had planned to depart around this timeframe even before friction with Hegseth intensified over the past year. Reports indicate that Hegseth is now considering Sean Parnell, one of his senior advisers and the Pentagon's chief spokesperson, as a potential successor to Driscoll, though no formal announcement on a replacement has been made.

Also Read: Border Czar Tom Homan Defends ICE Plan for Electric Shock Gloves