The US Army Secretary, Dan Driscoll, submitted his resignation to President Donald Trump, the White House confirmed. The decision was first reported by the Wall Street Journal and CNN, which cited sources close to the matter. One source told CNN that the resignation was expected given the tension between Driscoll and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. NBC had previously reported the previous week that Driscoll had informed close associates that he would like to resign starting from Labor Day, celebrated on September 7, although Trump wanted him to remain in the position until the end of the year.
Daniel P. Driscoll was the 26th US Army Secretary, sworn in on February 25, 2025 after nomination by Trump and Senate confirmation. He served in the Iraq War and, after leaving active duty, attended Yale Law School, where he met JD Vance, the current Vice President. In the private sector, he held leadership positions in investment banking and funds.
Hegseth has been abruptly removing several top generals from the Armed Forces, including General Randy George in April. Driscoll was an ally of George and lamented his departure, having visited George's family after the dismissal. General Christopher Donahue resigned unexpectedly in June. General Christopher LaNeve, who rose quickly under Hegseth's leadership, is serving as acting Army Chief of Staff.
In announcing the departure, the White House did not provide reasons but praised Driscoll's work in promoting Trump's agenda and restoring the readiness and lethality of the forces. By LaNeve's order, a drone modernization program that Driscoll had announced is being shut down, and an Army unit based in Europe has been ordered to stop building drones and return to traditional infantry operations.
