Army Secretary Dan Driscoll Resigns After 18 Months Amid Reported Tensions With Hegseth

The White House said on Aug. 31, 2026 that Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is stepping down after 18 months in the job. An Army official, speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to comment, said Driscoll spoke with President Trump about the state of the Army and submitted his resignation. No reason was given publicly. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly called Driscoll "highly effective" and credited him with assisting negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Tensions between Driscoll and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have been widely reported. Driscoll, a friend of Vice President JD Vance, was confirmed 66-28 in February 2025.

The departure continues a sustained turnover in senior Pentagon leadership. Hegseth ousted Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George in April; the Army's commander in Europe and Africa, Gen. Christopher Donahue, stepped down in June; and Navy Secretary John Phelan left in April 2025. Driscoll's exit follows the rollback of a drone modernization program he had championed. Sen. Jack Reed, the ranking Democrat on Armed Services, said Hegseth "is cultivating a culture where dissent is punished."

No successor was named, and the Pentagon referred questions to the Army. Lawmakers in both parties praised Driscoll's tenure.