Daniel Wolfram
The new resignation is another in a long line of firings or oustings that have critics questioning the timing during a war and the handling by Pete Hegseth.
The power struggle within the Pentagon continues.
It was seen as a gamble when Donald Trump made a former Fox News host and soldier, who had never held higher office before, the Secretary of Defense.
Now, another high-profile member has resigned, following in the footsteps of many senior officers who were unable to work with the bombastic leader of the military.
Another departure at the top
On Monday evening, US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll officially stepped down following months of bitter feuding with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, multiple outlets report.
The sudden exit leaves a monumental vacuum during an ongoing war with Iran as the military is without one of its most important civilian leaders.
It marks the latest high-profile departure in a sweeping leadership purge.
Clashes in the Pentagon
Driscoll, an Iraq War veteran who helped lead Ukraine peace talks, repeatedly butted heads with Hegseth over key personnel choices and various sweeping reforms.
The main breaking point came when Hegseth fired General Randy George, the Army Chief of Staff whom Driscoll openly praised and said he “adored” during congressional testimony.
With both top Army roles now open, General Christopher LaNeve has stepped in as acting chief while candidates wait for Senate confirmation.
Hegseth brings waves of change
The exit follows a broader pattern of upheaval at the Pentagon, where Hegseth has removed two dozen senior commanders across the armed forces.
Still, the White House released a warm statement thanking Driscoll for his “outstanding leadership during historic military operations” and his “emphasis on readiness and lethality” during his tenure.
Donald Trump had previously praised Driscoll at a public event, noting that the now-ousted secretary was “really out there with that beautiful smile, but he’s actually a killer.”
It is reported that Driscoll went to the White House, where he “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.” That probably means that Driscoll went directly to the president to complain about Pete Hegseth, but Trump sided with Hegseth in the end.
Driscoll is now widely expected to join the political campaign of his close friend and former Yale classmate, Vice President JD Vance, as he seeks to ramp up his bid for the presidency in 2028. That may indicate that the feud between Driscoll and Hegseth is not done just yet and that Vance may be caught in it.
