Army Secretary Dan Driscoll submitted his resignation to the White House on August 31 after months of tension with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the firing of senior military officers and the dismantling of Army modernization efforts. Driscoll, who served as the Army’s top civilian leader for 18 months following his Senate confirmation in February 2025, spoke directly to President Trump on Monday about his concerns regarding the direction of the service before stepping down.
The clashes between Driscoll and Hegseth centered on Hegseth’s removal of key military leaders, most notably Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, whom Hegseth forced into retirement in April 2026 despite George’s strong congressional support and decorated military record. Driscoll was a close ally of George and had advocated for his retention, according to reporting from Politico. The two officers had jointly championed the Army Transformation Initiative, a modernization effort that included introducing unmanned systems and drone warfare capabilities informed by lessons from Ukraine.
Hegseth’s broader Pentagon leadership overhaul has removed or forced out numerous senior military officials since he took office in January 2025. Beyond George, Hegseth ousted Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, who was instrumental in supporting Ukraine; Gen. James Mingus, the Army vice chief of staff; and replaced them with allies including Gen. Christopher LaNeve, whom Hegseth elevated from a command in South Korea. According to Axios, Hegseth has also removed Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. C.Q. Brown Jr., Admiral Lisa Franchetti (the first woman to serve as chief of naval operations), and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife, among others.
Driscoll’s departure also represents the loss of a rising figure in the Trump administration. An Iraq war veteran and former adviser to Vice President JD Vance, whom he met at Yale Law School, Driscoll had served in several high-profile roles, including key negotiator in Trump’s push to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine. Deputy Army Undersecretary Dave Fitzgerald, who worked closely with Driscoll on bringing private equity investment and small tech firms into the Army to enhance its agility, is also expected to step down this week, according to a U.S. official cited by CBS News.
Driscoll’s resignation comes as the Army faces an extended war in the Middle East and a dearth of Senate-confirmed senior leaders. Acting Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve and an acting civilian official will now lead the service during a critical period of military operations and congressional budget negotiations. The Army had also begun phasing out a joint training program between U.S. and Ukrainian troops on drone warfare following friction between LaNeve and officers who supported the initiative, according to CBS News reporting.
The White House released a statement praising Driscoll’s tenure, saying he had been “highly effective in advancing President Trump’s agenda” and that the Army was “more powerful than ever thanks to his work.” However, sources familiar with Driscoll’s thinking, cited by Politico, indicated he had told confidants for months that he planned to leave the Pentagon around the midterm elections, suggesting the timing of his departure may have been planned even as tensions with Hegseth mounted.
Sources
- Politico — Driscoll’s resignation, his concerns about Army direction and Hegseth’s removal of officers, his conversation with Trump, and his relationship with Vice President Vance.
- The Guardian — Driscoll’s resignation, his role as negotiator on Russia-Ukraine peace efforts, and the broader Pentagon turmoil.
- CBS News — Driscoll’s resignation, his concerns about Army transformation efforts and Hegseth blocking those initiatives, and the departure of Deputy Undersecretary Fitzgerald.
- Axios — Comprehensive list of Pentagon leadership departures under Hegseth, including George, Donahue, Mingus, Brown, Franchetti, Slife, and others.
