Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigns amid tensions with Hegseth
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has resigned from his role amid growing tension between him and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a U.S. official told ABC News.
President Donald Trump accepted Driscoll’s resignation Monday evening, the official said.
In a statement Monday, the White House thanked Driscoll for his work and praised him for being "highly effective."
"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. The United States Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work alongside the Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of War," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said.
Driscoll and Hegseth differed on several matters since taking over their roles in 2025, according to various U.S. officials. Most notable has been Hegseth's firing or sidelining of multiple senior officers up for promotion to the rank of general, according to the officials.
Hegseth also fired Gen. Randy George, the former Army Chief of Staff, without explanation in April. Driscoll had a close working relationship with George and said at a congressional hearing that he did not know why George had been removed.
It was noteworthy late last year that Trump chose Driscoll to head a diplomatic initiative last fall to restart the Ukraine-Russia peace talks. An assignment like that was beyond the scope of the duties of a service secretary whose main task is to oversee the training and equipping of a service.
Driscoll was also popular on Capitol Hill and had access to the White House thanks to his previous relationship with Vice President JD Vance, whom he had met at Yale Law School after serving in the 10th Mountain Division as a cavalry officer.
