US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll Submits Resignation Amid Rift with Hegseth

U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has submitted his resignation to President Donald Trump after several months of strained relations with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the news, which Newsmax later confirmed, citing three current and former U.S. Army officials.

According to Newsmax, Driscoll will leave his post by the end of this week.

Before his resignation, Driscoll met with Trump at the White House to discuss Army matters and submit his resignation. His family has already left the Secretary of the Army’s official residence.

According to the WSJ, disagreements between Driscoll and Hegseth centered on Army reforms, its readiness, and personnel decisions.

According to a source familiar with Driscoll’s decision, as reported by journalist Jennifer Griffin, the Secretary had raised concerns with the administration about Army transformation and readiness. Hegseth, however, blocked those efforts, including by firing generals responsible for implementing them.

Hegseth also threatened Driscoll with a formal investigation if he disclosed details of their disagreements to the press.

Last week, Driscoll attended the retirement ceremony for General Chris Donahue at Fort Bragg. According to a former official, he acted like someone who had already decided to leave the post. According to the WSJ, Donahue’s retirement was part of Hegseth’s campaign to reduce the number of U.S. generals and admirals by 10% and four-star positions by 20%.

Driscoll has served as Secretary of the Army since February 2025. He is an Iraq War veteran and a former Army Ranger officer. In 2020, Driscoll unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District.

He is also close to U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, and one source suggested that after leaving office, he could help Vance with a potential 2028 presidential campaign.

As Secretary, Driscoll advocated for reforming military procurement and expanding the Army’s authority to repair its own equipment. He also emphasized using 3D printing to speed up parts production and military equipment repair.

The White House, meanwhile, praised Driscoll’s work. A White House spokesperson thanked him for his service and said that under his leadership, the Army had placed greater emphasis on readiness.