US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll quits amid reported tensions with Hegseth; 3rd major departure from Pentagon since April

Dan Driscoll, the US Army Secretary, has submitted his resignation to the White House, which has accepted the same, after alleged tensions with War Secretary Pete Hegseth, NBC News reported.

Last week, Driscoll revealed to his close associates in the government that he wanted to quit from his position by the time Labor Day arrives. Last week he had visited the White House to talk about his future in the administration, as per the publication. However, what decisions were made at the meeting was unknown.

There were rumours for months that Driscoll, who is one of the few in the administration well regarded by both Republicans and Democrats, would be leaving his position. He was the Army Secretary since his appointment in February 2025, and is reportedly close to Vice President JD Vance.

Reuters cited one US official who spoke on conditions of anonymity to reveal that Hegseth had for long seen Driscoll as a threat with the Washington DC bureaucracy, and had wanted to get rid off him, but the latter’s closeness with the vice president made this a challenging task.

In a rare diplomatic task for the US Army Secretary, Driscoll had gained prominence outside his role when US President Donald Trump appointed him to take part in talks with Russia and Ukraine to end the war that has been going on since 2022.

This is the latest high-profile personnel to depart from the Defense Department after the war with Iran began on 28 February this year. Earlier in April, John Phelan, the US Navy Secretary, and Genenral Randy George, the Army chief of staff, were pushed out of their positions.

The official Reuters spoke to revealed that after the firing of George, Driscoll was caught off guard, which led to his increased frustration with the War Secretary.

The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the resignation of Driscoll.

Anna Kelly, the White House spokesperson, praised Driscoll in a statement issued on Monday, saying, “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.”

Driscoll had been pushing the US Army to be more nimble when it came to buying cheaper weapons. and has slammed large weapon makers, saying last year, “(The) defense industrial base broadly, and the primes in particular, conned the American people and the Pentagon and the Army.”