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Driscoll Resigns
U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll submitted his resignation to President Donald Trump after months of tension with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Reuters reported from a source familiar with the matter.
“U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has submitted his resignation to the White House”
Reuters said it was unclear whether the White House had accepted Driscoll’s resignation, while the Army declined to comment on the news first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The BBC reported that Driscoll’s departure was confirmed by CBS, the BBC’s US media partner, and said it came after months of conflict between Driscoll and Hegseth.
In a White House statement given to CBS, spokesperson Anna Kelly said, "Secretary Driscoll has been highly effective in advancing President Trump’s agenda to Make America Strong Again at the Department of the Army".
The BBC also said Driscoll, 41, was often referred to as President Donald Trump’s "drone guy" and that he was the youngest-ever army secretary.
Tension With Hegseth
Multiple outlets tied the resignation to disputes over Army transformation and readiness, with CNN quoting a resignation-related concern that Driscoll raised about "Hegseth’s blocking those efforts specifically by firing the generals who were responsible."
Fox News reported that a senior U.S. official confirmed Driscoll submitted his resignation to President Donald Trump and said it remained pending and had not been accepted by the White House.
CNN said Driscoll “spoke to the president about the current state of the Army and submitted his resignation,” and it described the decision as coming after months of friction with Hegseth.
In April, Driscoll told lawmakers there is "no person that has more respect for Gen. George and his 42 years of service" and said "I adore them" during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing.
The BBC said the details of the behind-the-scenes friction between Driscoll and Hegseth were unclear, but noted CBS reported the army secretary was good friends with George, who was reportedly asked by Hegseth to resign.
What Comes Next
The resignation lands as the Pentagon continues to grapple with wars and leadership gaps, with The New York Times saying the Army’s largest service faces its busiest period since the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
“the military’s largest service faces its busiest period since the Iraq and Afghanistan wars”
The New York Times said Army air defense soldiers are playing the leading role in defending U.S. troops in the Middle East from increasingly sophisticated Iranian missile attacks, while the Army’s command in Europe provides critical intelligence and other support to Ukraine.
Politico reported that it was unclear if President Donald Trump had accepted Driscoll’s resignation or who would replace him as acting Army secretary, and it said Dave Fitzgerald, deputy undersecretary of the Army, will also depart the Pentagon as soon as this week.
Politico added that acting Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve and an acting civilian official would lead the service as it tries to end a military conflict in the Middle East and assist with increasing Russian aggression in Europe.
In the Reuters account, Driscoll’s resignation also came as the United States is still engaged in a war with Iran, with thousands of U.S. Army soldiers deployed in the Middle East.