US Army Secretary resigns amid rift with Hegseth — media

US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has submitted a resignation letter to President Donald Trump amid strained relations with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Driscoll is expected to leave his post within days. His deputy, Dave Fitzgerald, will also step down from his duties. As a result, the Army will be left without any Senate-confirmed civilian or military leader.

The disagreements between Driscoll and Hegseth reportedly concerned the development of the armed forces and personnel decisions to dismiss several senior officers. General Christopher LaNeve has been serving as acting chief of staff since Hegseth removed his predecessor, General Randy George.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly thanked Driscoll for his work, noting his contribution to strengthening the Army's combat readiness. She said Driscoll effectively advanced President Trump's agenda within the Department of the Army, showed strong leadership during historic military operations, and helped in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

Background

Last week, Driscoll attended the retirement ceremony of General Chris Donahue at Fort Bragg. Donahue had led US forces in Europe until Hegseth demoted him, effectively ending his military career. According to the WSJ, Donahue's departure was part of a broader Hegseth campaign to cut the overall number of generals and admirals by 10%, and the number of four-star general and admiral positions by 20%.

Some Republicans also oppose LaNeve's candidacy for Army chief of staff, which Hegseth supports — meaning he may fail to win Senate confirmation if formally nominated.