Army Secretary Resigns Amid Internal Tension

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is resigning, with multiple media reports saying that his departure comes after months of butting heads with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

A report from Axios said that Driscoll was irked when Hegseth pulled two black men and two women from the promotions list, which Driscoll refused to do.

“Secretary Driscoll has been highly effective in advancing President Trump’s agenda to Make America Strong Again at the Department of the Army by providing outstanding leadership during historic military operations, restoring an emphasis on readiness and lethality, assisting with negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and more,” White House representative Anna Kelly said in a statement.

“The United States Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work alongside the Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of War,” she said.

@SecArmy Dan Driscoll brought urgency to an institution that cannot afford complacency.

He understood that maintaining the strongest Army in the world means constantly questioning how we buy equipment, sustain it, and prepare our soldiers for the battlefield ahead. From Right to…

— Congressman Pat Harrigan (@RepPatHarrigan) August 31, 2026

“Driscoll 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,” Fox News quoted a source as saying.

The removal of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George was a flashpoint that led to Driscoll’s desire to step down, Fox News reported.

A report in The Atlantic said that Driscoll last week d his concerns with President Donald Trump that a large number of leaders had been either pushed out or passed over for promotion under Hegseth.

“Driscoll argued that the Army could not transform itself the way it needs to, because of the departure of so many leaders,” the report said, citing a source it did not name.

The report said Trump “expressed concern about the deep cuts to the Army’s senior leadership.”

The Wall Street Journal likewise noted that Hegseth and Driscoll were at odds over personnel changes.

The outlet reported that Dave Fitzgerald, the deputy undersecretary of the Army, is also expected to step down.

Mike Obadal, the Army’s undersecretary, will be the Army’s highest-ranking civilian after Driscoll leaves.

Dan Driscoll is a transformative leader who brought common sense and discipline to the Department of the Army. I had the pleasure of working with him closely, and appreciated how engaged he was from mentoring cadets at West Point to leading the Army at the Pentagon. The Army is…

— Rep. Steve Womack (@rep_stevewomack) September 1, 2026

NPR noted that Driscoll is “very close” to Vice President J.D. Vance, who supported Driscoll’s selection as secretary of the Army.

The report said there had been “widespread media speculation” that Driscoll, who advised Vance on his 2024 campaign, would leave the administration to join a 2028 Vance campaign.

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