Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigns after Pentagon friction

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is resigning after months of reported friction with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, making him the latest senior Pentagon figure to leave as the Army navigates changes in leadership, readiness priorities and overseas operations.

The White House confirmed Monday that it had accepted Driscoll’s resignation. NBC News reported, citing a person familiar with the matter and a White House official, that he is expected to step down in the coming days. A U.S. official told CBS News that Driscoll spoke with President Trump about the current state of the Army and submitted his resignation.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly praised Driscoll’s work in a statement, saying he had “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,” Kelly added.

Driscoll, an Iraq war veteran and former adviser to Vice President JD Vance, has served as the Army’s top civilian leader since his Senate confirmation in February 2025. He has been well regarded by many Republicans and Democrats and has been rumored for months to be considering leaving the administration. NBC News reported last week that he had told close associates he wanted to leave by Labor Day, while CBS News reported that he had been considering stepping down by the end of the year.

His tenure included the U.S. operation that captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, which involved members of the Army’s elite Delta Force, CBS News reported. CBS also reported that Driscoll has led the Army during the ongoing war with Iran, met with Ukrainian and Russian officials as part of Trump’s effort to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, and served as Army secretary as the administration pursued a plan to cut the number of U.S. forces in Germany.

The resignation follows a series of high-level departures and removals at the Defense Department. Navy Secretary John Phelan left earlier this year, with Trump saying Phelan “had some conflicts with some other people,” CBS News reported. Hegseth also ousted Gen. Randy George, a close friend of Driscoll, as Army chief of staff by asking him to retire. Other officers who have retired in the last year include former U.S. Army Europe and Africa commander Gen. Christopher Donahue and U.S. Southern Command commander Adm. Alvin Holsey, according to CBS News.

NBC News reported that Driscoll had differed with Hegseth on several issues and that Hegseth had removed George, Phelan and other high-ranking Pentagon officials. Hegseth has also blocked the promotions of several senior Army officers, NBC reported.

“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,” a source familiar with the matter told NBC News.

CBS News reported that the Army is also phasing out a new battalion supported by George that was tasked with studying lessons on drone warfare, including from the Ukraine war, after friction between Army officers who backed the unit and acting Army chief of staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve.

The Wall Street Journal first reported Driscoll’s resignation, according to NBC News. The Pentagon directed questions about Driscoll to the Army, which did not immediately respond to NBC’s request for comment.