US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll quits amid Trump military reshuffle

US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has resigned after speaking with President Donald Trump. His exit deepens turmoil at the Pentagon as leadership changes and policy reversals unsettle the Army.

In Short

• No official reason was offered, though friction with Pete Hegseth persisted
• Driscoll reportedly spoke with Donald Trump before formally submitting his resignation
• His ally General Randy George was removed as Army chief in April

US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is stepping down after 18 months in the job, the White House said on Monday, in the latest exit of a top military leader during the Trump administration. No reason was given for his departure, though tensions with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have been widely reported.

Driscoll's resignation comes amid continued upheaval in the Army, including the removal of senior officers and changes to a drone programme he had backed. A US Army official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly, said Driscoll spoke with President Donald Trump about the state of the Army and then submitted his resignation.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement: "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." She added, "The United States Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work alongside the Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of War." The official did not give further details. The Pentagon referred questions to the Army. The Wall Street Journal had reported Driscoll's resignation earlier on Monday.

His departure follows the removal of one of his allies from the Army and the rollback of a drone programme he had championed. Hegseth removed the Army's top uniformed officer, General Randy George, in April, while General Christopher Donahue, the Army's commander in Europe and Africa, stepped down unexpectedly in June.

General Christopher LaNeve, who has risen quickly under Hegseth, replaced George as the Army's acting chief of staff. Under LaNeve, the service is ending a drone modernisation programme. Army officials said in August that a Europe-based unit that had been building its own drones was told to stop and return to operating as a traditional infantry battalion.

Driscoll was an ally of George and had spoken publicly about his disappointment at George's exit, a view also shared by Republican and Democratic lawmakers. He told Congress in April that he and his family drove to George's house after his resignation "and we all gave him a hug". He added: "That being said, the civilian leadership, the design of our system, is that they get to pick the leaders that they want."

Driscoll is an Iraq war veteran, a tech investor and a former adviser to Vice President J D Vance, whom he met at Yale Law School. When announcing his nomination in 2024, Trump called him "a disruptor and change agent". As Army secretary, Driscoll was also given the unusual role of helping with negotiations aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. He also pushed efforts to cut red tape so military contractors could develop drones and counter-drone systems more quickly as warfare changes.

The Senate confirmed Driscoll in February 2025 by 66 votes to 28 after an Armed Services Committee hearing that focused largely on Army modernisation, recruitment and strengthening the military industrial base. Driscoll said his father and grandfather had served in the Army and promised to focus on the needs of soldiers. According to the Army, he served as an armour officer from August 2007 to March 2011 and was deployed to Iraq from October 2009 to July 2010. He had also unsuccessfully contested the Republican primary for a North Carolina congressional seat in 2020, winning about 8 per cent of the vote in a crowded field.

Driscoll's exit comes after Hegseth removed several other generals and admirals, including the head of the Navy. In April, the Pentagon also abruptly announced that Navy Secretary John Phelan was leaving his post, making him the first head of a military service to depart during Trump's second term. Driscoll's resignation adds to that wider reshuffle at the top of the US military.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends