Army Secretary Dan Driscoll Resigns Amid Tensions With Defense Secretary Hegseth

President Donald Trump made a secret plea to his departing Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, urging him to remain in his position at least through the midterm elections.

Driscoll formally submitted his resignation on Monday, with his last day scheduled for Thursday. People familiar with the conversation told The Washington Post that Driscoll refused Trump's request and warned the president that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was damaging the Army. Publicly, Driscoll credited Hegseth for his role in Army modernization and stated serving as Army secretary was the honor of a lifetime in a post on X. Driscoll and Hegseth had experienced repeated disagreements.

Hegseth reportedly fired several Army generals, halted the advancement of other top officers, and obstructed some of Driscoll's Army modernization initiatives. A source told The Financial Times that Driscoll believed Hegseth was inflicting generational damage on the US military. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell dismissed these suggestions as a total fabrication, asserting, "The President has complete trust in Secretary Hegseth, who is doing an incredible job leading the Pentagon."

Republican Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) supported Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) in advocating for Hegseth's removal, describing Hegseth's leadership as not very good. Tillis urged Trump to replace Hegseth due to inept management and for creating a leadership void by compelling many flag officers into retirement. A New York Times analysis found Hegseth had fired or blocked promotions for over 80 generals and admirals, representing about 10 percent of the military's top officers.

Hegseth has publicly expressed his intent to drastically change the Department of Defense and instill a warrior ethos, stating, "We became the woke department. Not any more. We’re done with that s***." Hegseth also drew criticism from Rep. Don Bacon for a demeaning social media post about Canadian cadets. In November 2024, Hegseth stated, "I’m straight-up saying we should not have women in combat roles." Vice President J.D. Vance cast the tie-breaking vote for Hegseth's confirmation, marking the smallest margin for a Defense Department nominee since 1947.