US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll Resigns Amid Tensions With Defense Secretary Hegseth

U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has submitted his resignation to the White House following months of tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to a Reuters report. It remains unclear whether the White House has accepted his resignation.

Driscoll, who is considered close to Vice President JD Vance, is the latest senior Pentagon official to leave or be pushed out under Hegseth. His resignation also comes as the United States remains engaged in a war with Iran, with thousands of U.S. Army troops deployed across the Middle East.

A source told Reuters that Driscoll had raised concerns with the administration over Army transformation and readiness, particularly Hegseth's decision to remove generals overseeing those efforts.

The Army declined to comment on the resignation, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly praised Driscoll's tenure, saying he had been "highly effective" in advancing President Donald Trump's agenda, including overseeing military operations, strengthening readiness and lethality, and participating in diplomatic efforts between Russia and Ukraine.

Frustration With Hegseth

Driscoll, who was confirmed as Army secretary in February 2025, had pushed for the service to become more agile in acquiring cheaper weapons and had openly criticised major defence contractors.

He gained wider prominence after Trump selected him to participate in talks between Moscow and Kyiv aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war — an unusual diplomatic role for an Army secretary.

Tensions with Hegseth reportedly intensified after the defence secretary fired Army Chief of Staff General Randy George in April. A U.S. official said the move caught Driscoll off guard and increased his frustration with Hegseth.

Hegseth later pushed out the head of U.S. Army forces in Europe and personally blocked the promotion of several senior Army officials.

The Reuters report said Hegseth viewed Driscoll as a threat within the Pentagon bureaucracy and had wanted to remove him, but Driscoll's relationship with Vance made that difficult.

Another Senior Official May Leave

Dave Fitzgerald, the Army's deputy undersecretary responsible for innovation, was also expected to resign, according to the report.

Republican Congressman Pat Harrigan defended Driscoll, saying he had "brought urgency to an institution that cannot afford complacency".

"Dan's service to this country is far from over," Harrigan said.