US army secretary Dan Driscoll resigns amid reported friction with Hegseth
US army secretary Dan Driscoll has submitted his resignation to President Donald Trump, becoming the latest senior official to leave the Defense Department amid reported tension with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The White House confirmed on Monday that army secretary Dan Driscoll has resigned, handing his resignation to President Donald Trump. Driscoll, who ranked second in the chain of command behind Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, had reportedly been considering leaving the Pentagon for some time amid apparent tension between the two men.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement to the Associated Press that Driscoll had been highly effective in advancing the president's agenda, providing leadership during historic military operations, strengthening the army's readiness and lethality, and assisting with negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. She added that the US Army was now more powerful than ever as a result of his work. The Wall Street Journal first reported the resignation.
The departure follows months of turbulence at the Defense Department, marked by leak investigations, budget disputes and the removal of several senior officials. In April, army chief of staff Randy George was ousted, and in June Gen Christopher Donahue, commander of US forces in Europe and Africa, unexpectedly stepped down as well.
Driscoll was an ally of George and expressed regret over his departure, as did lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties. Driscoll told Congress in April that after George's resignation, he and his family drove to George's home to show support. He added, however, that under the design of the system, civilian leadership has the authority to choose the officials it wants in charge.
Driscoll is an Iraq war veteran, a tech investor and a former adviser to Vice President JD Vance, whom he met at Yale Law School. When nominating Driscoll in 2024, Trump described him as a disruptor and change agent. As army secretary, Driscoll also took on the unusual role of chief negotiator in efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, and pushed to cut red tape for military contractors so they could more quickly develop drone and counter-drone technology. The Senate confirmed him in February 2025 by a vote of 66-28.
