US Army secretary resigns amid reported Pentagon rift
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The White House said on Monday that Army Secretary Dan Driscoll had submitted his resignation to President Donald Trump, ending a tenure that began in February last year. The departure follows reports of months of tension between Driscoll and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the Army’s development direction and the dismissal of several senior Army officers. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly praised Driscoll’s leadership, saying he had advanced Trump’s agenda, strengthened readiness and warfighting capability, and helped with Russia-Ukraine negotiations. His exit adds to instability at the top of the US Army, which is already being led by acting Chief of Staff Christopher LaNeve on the military side
Key Points
- The White House confirmed on Monday that Dan Driscoll resigned as Army secretary after serving in the civilian leadership post since February last year
- Anna Kelly said Driscoll had strongly advanced Trump’s “Make America Strong Again” agenda and showed leadership during what she called historic military operations.
- The Wall Street Journal previously reported Driscoll was expected to leave by the end of this year, possibly earlier, because of clashes with Pete Hegseth
- Reported disagreements focused on the Army’s future development direction and the removal of multiple senior Army officers, which strained relations between the two men.
- After Hegseth removed former Army Chief of Staff Randy George in April, Driscoll later told a congressional hearing George was a remarkable transformational leader
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers following US security policy, the turnover points to continued uncertainty inside the Pentagon at a time when Washington says it is prioritising readiness and military capability. The leadership gap is also notable because Driscoll’s departure leaves the Army temporarily without a Senate-confirmed top civilian or military leader, potentially complicating decision-making at a major US service branch