Outgoing Army Secretary Dan Driscoll appears to be leaving the Pentagon amid a sharp break with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, reportedly taking his frustrations directly to President Donald Trump after months of speculation about tensions between the two men.
Driscoll became the latest high-profile figure in Washington to head for the exit on Monday, when the White House confirmed that his departure was imminent.
In a meeting with Trump last week, Driscoll raised serious concerns about Hegseth’s stewardship of the Army, according to The Atlantic.
People familiar with the discussion told the magazine that Trump was caught off guard by the number of senior military leaders and generals who had been dismissed, pushed out or passed over for promotion under Hegseth.
The president was also reportedly troubled by Driscoll’s account of sweeping cuts to the Army’s senior ranks and warnings that the service was struggling to carry out a long-planned transformation.
Driscoll concluded the Oval Office conversation by informing Trump that he intended to resign.
One person familiar with the resignation said Driscoll “brought up concerns with the administration surrounding Army transformation and readiness and Hegseth’s blocking those efforts specifically by firing the Generals who were responsible.”
A defense official told the outlet that Driscoll is expected to be succeeded by someone loyal to Hegseth, a move the official warned could give the Pentagon chief room to inflict “generational damage.”
Departing Army Secretary Dan Driscoll (pictured) appeared to fully burn his bridges with Pete Hegseth on his way out, badmouthing him to Donald Trump after months of a rumored rift
Trump was reportedly surprised by how many military leaders and generals were fired or forced out or denied promotions by Hegseth (pictured)
Sources also suggested Driscoll and Hegseth clashed over their ambitions, with Driscoll reportedly often telling people that he was close with Vice President JD Vance and even wanted to run for president himself someday.
Hegseth himself denied reports he was preparing to run in 2028 late last week.
The Secretary of Defense also reportedly disliked that Driscoll fostered good relationships with the media and tech executives, which garnered him additional roles within the Trump administration.
‘The United States Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work alongside the Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of War,’ Anna Kelly told The Atlantic in a statement, while adding that Driscoll had been ‘highly effective’ in his service.
Our News Outlet has reached out to the White House and the Pentagon for comment.
Driscoll is an Iraq war veteran, tech investor and former adviser to Vance, whom Driscoll met at Yale Law School. When nominating Driscoll in 2024, Trump called him ‘a disruptor and change agent.’
As Army secretary, Driscoll was tapped for the unusual role of key negotiator to try to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
He was also a major force behind trying to cut the red tape for military contractors to quickly develop more drones and counter-drone capabilities as warfare rapidly changes around the world.
The secretary met with President Trump last week and unloaded his concerns with where Hegseth is taking the Army
Trump was reportedly concerned by what Driscoll (pictured) described as deep cuts to senior leadership in the Army and the force’s inability to complete a needed transformation
The Senate confirmed him in February 2025, voting 66-28, following an Armed Services Committee hearing that was largely unconfrontational and focused on how the Army could modernize its systems, improve recruiting and beef up the military industrial base.
Driscoll noted that his father and grandfather served in the Army, and he vowed to be a secretary focused on the needs of soldiers.
According to the Army, Driscoll served as an armor officer from August 2007 to March 2011, deploying to Iraq from October 2009 to July 2010.
He also ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primary for a North Carolina congressional seat in 2020, getting about eight percent of the vote in a crowded field of candidates.
Driscoll had been rumored to step down at some point between now and the end of the year but the White House announced his departure Monday.
‘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,’ White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Our News Outlet in a statement.
The Wall Street Journal added that Driscoll is set to officially depart at some point in the coming days.
Driscoll is an Iraq war veteran, tech investor and former adviser to Vance, whom Driscoll met at Yale Law School. When nominating Driscoll in 2024, Trump called him ‘a disruptor and change agent’
Driscoll has disagreed with Hegseth on a number of issues, including the Defense Secretary’s moves to block the promotion of several Army officers and the April ouster of a key Driscoll ally
Driscoll has disagreed with Hegseth on a number of issues, including the Defense Secretary’s moves to block the promotion of several Army officers and the April ouster of a key Driscoll ally.
The firing of Chief of Staff Randy George earlier this year by Hegseth means the Army will no longer have a Senate-confirmed leader, as Donald Trump has yet to nominate a replacement for George.
The news comes amid Trump’s own clashes with Hegseth, with the Pentagon chief rumored to have been sidelined within the administration.
Both Driscoll and George’s jobs require majority approval from the Senate. A former Hegseth aide, General Christopher LaNeve, has been working as the interim replacement for George.
The New York Post reported in April that Driscoll caused George’s firing because the two are close.
George was Driscoll’s top aide and an official said that Hegseth has been worried Driscoll would replace him ever since the infamous March 2025 group chat fiasco.
‘This is all driven by the insecurity and paranoia that Pete has developed since Signal-gate. Unfortunately, it is stoked by some of his closest aides who should be trying to calm the waters,’ a source told the paper.
The White House backed Driscoll in a statement at the time and a source said Hegseth ‘can’t fire’ Driscoll for the time being.
Driscoll has disagreed with Hegseth on a number of issues, including the Defense Secretary’s moves to block the promotion of several Army officers and the April ouster of a key Driscoll ally, Chief of Staff Randy George
Both Driscoll and George’s jobs require majority approval from the Senate. A former Hegseth aide, General Christopher LaNeve (pictured), has been working as the interim replacement for George
‘He is very concerned about being fired and he knows that Driscoll is one of the top contenders, or a natural contender, to succeed him,’ the source added.
The firing of George was reportedly an attempt to get rid of anyone perceived to be an ally of Driscoll, who is also said to be close to Vice President JD Vance.
In April, one senior Pentagon official argued to the Washington Post that Driscoll focused too much on his political future instead of his role managing soldiers’ training and equipment.
Three others, though, disputed the suggestion that Driscoll has been performing poorly in the role.
One said Driscoll, who worked in venture capital and led an Army cavalry scout platoon during the Iraq War, has ‘made a ton of institutional changes and stayed out of things that the military shouldn’t touch, especially with culture wars.’
George, a Biden appointee, is understood to have clashed with the Trump Administration’s vision for the Army.
Yet those familiar with the situation say Driscoll intervened when Hegseth previously tried to fire General George, who was confirmed by the Senate in 2023.
The general had long been seen as a target for firing within the Trump administration not only because he was selected to lead the Army by the previous administration, but also because he served as a senior military assistant to former President Joe Biden’s defense secretary, Lloyd Austin.
George has also spoken out in favor of diversity training for military personnel, telling lawmakers during his confirmation hearing that it is just one component in a broader effort to build cohesive teams.
The firing of Chief of Staff Randy George (pictured) earlier this year by Hegseth means the Army will no longer have a Senate-confirmed leader, as Donald Trump has yet to nominate a replacement for George
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll speaks at the America 250 celebration at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville
During his tenure, he worked closely with Driscoll, who reportedly backed the general’s effort to continually experiment with and adopt drones and other emerging technology.
The two even traveled to Ukraine last year in an effort to gather lessons learned from the war.
‘There have been multiple instances where Secretary Hegseth has tried to remove George and Driscoll has said, ‘No he’s done nothing wrong. He’s good,” one official said, adding that the Army Secretary ‘has been very clear that merit should speak for itself.’
It remains unclear exactly why George was removed from his position.
But his ouster came after he faced two major issues: Hegseth’s decision to block the promotion of two black and two female officers to one-star generals and the controversial appearance of Apache helicopters outside Kid Rock’s home.
Sources told the Washington Post that George tried to meet with Hegseth to discuss the blocked promotion, but was rebuffed.
Hegseth has purged more than a dozen senior officers, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General CQ Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff General James Slife and the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse.
