The Pentagon’s chief spokesman has emerged as a possible pick by Donald Trump to succeed outgoing Army Secretary Dan Driscoll.
Sean Parnell, who also serves as a senior adviser to Pete Hegseth, is among the names being considered for the Army secretary role, The Hill reported.
Parnell, 45, “has a deep bench of supporters throughout the Administration and has worked tirelessly to enable cultural change and accountability in the Pentagon,” a Pentagon official said.
“Leveraging his extensive combat and executive experience, he will bring the accountability, change, and engaged transformational leadership the Army so desperately needs at this time,” the official added.
Still, winning the permanent Army secretary post could prove challenging. The position requires Senate confirmation, meaning Parnell would need support from at least 50 members of the Republican-controlled chamber.
Parnell previously drew national attention in 2021 when he suspended his Trump-backed Senate campaign in Pennsylvania after losing custody of his three children during a contentious divorce case. His wife had accused him of abuse.
Despite the speculation surrounding a possible promotion, an administration official told Time Magazine that Parnell remains focused on his current responsibilities at the Pentagon.
“Sean Parnell is 100 percent focused on the job he was appointed to by President Trump and Secretary Hegseth,” the official said.
The Pentagon’s top spokesman Sean Parnell (pictured) could be Donald Trump’s choice to replace the departing Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll
Parnell (pictured right), a senior advisor to Pete Hegseth (pictured left) in addition to his role as spokesman, is on the shortlist to take over
Congressman Brian Mast, a Florida Republican and former Israeli Defense Forces soldier, has been reported by multiple conservative outlets as a potential candidate.
Our News Outlet has reached out to both the Pentagon and the White House for comment.
The reports come on the same day Trump nominated Hung Cao to take over as Secretary of the Navy.
Cao has served as acting secretary since John Phelan stepped down from the role in April.
Parnell, a decorated former Army Ranger who led a platoon in Afghanistan, penned a memoir of his service in Afghanistan, which became a New York Times bestseller.
He also has written four action novels, and emerged as a regular guest on Fox News programs before running for Congress in 2020.
Driscoll became the latest powerful name in Washington to step down on Monday as the White House announced his imminent departure.
The secretary met with President Trump last week and unloaded his concerns about how the Secretary of Defense is managing the Army, The Atlantic reported.
In 2021, Parnell was forced to suspend his Trump-endorsed Senate campaign in Pennsylvania after he lost custody of his three children during a bitter divorce battle with his wife, who accused him of abuse
Congressman Brian Mast (pictured), a Florida Republican and former Israeli Defense Forces soldier, has been reported by multiple conservative outlets as a potential candidate
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Sources told the magazine that Trump was surprised by how many military leaders and generals were fired or forced out or denied promotions by Hegseth.
Trump was reportedly concerned by what Driscoll described as deep cuts to senior leadership in the Army and the force’s inability to complete a needed transformation.
Driscoll ended the meeting by telling the President that he was set to resign.
A person familiar with Driscoll’s resignation said the secretary ‘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.’
One defense official believes Driscoll will be replaced by a Hegseth loyalist and will allow the Pentagon chief to do ‘generational damage.’
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.
Hegseth has purged more than a dozen senior officers from the Pentagon
Driscoll became the latest powerful name in Washington to step down on Monday as the White House announced his imminent departure
‘The United States Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work alongside the Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of War,’ White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told The Atlantic in a statement, while adding that Driscoll had been ‘highly effective’ in his service.
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.
‘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 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.
Donald Trump announced that he will nominate acting United States Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao (pictured left) to take the job on a permanent basis
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
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, when Trump administration officials used the Signal app to discuss sensitive info.
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.
