Dan Driscoll’s Parting Shot
The Army secretary told Trump about problems in the Army and his friction with Hegseth, then resigned.
During a White House meeting last week, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll confronted President Trump about the Army's future under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, signaling the heightened tensions between the two Pentagon leaders, according to four people familiar with the conversation. Trump was taken aback when Driscoll revealed the number of generals and top officers who had been fired, removed, or overlooked for promotions under Hegseth, one of the sources said.
Driscoll argued that the Army couldn't transform as needed due to the mass departures of leaders, adding that Trump expressed concern over the significant cuts to the Army's senior leadership. Driscoll informed the president of his decision to resign, and by the end of the day, he was out of office. With Driscoll gone, the Army, the largest service branch with over 450,000 active-duty soldiers worldwide, is left without a top civilian leader, a confirmed general in charge of operations, or a confirmed commander of Army troops in Europe, leaving the service with fewer generals than at any time in recent history.
In a statement, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly praised Driscoll's effectiveness in enhancing soldier readiness and advancing administration priorities, labeling the Army as "more powerful than ever" thanks to his work. However, Driscoll's spokesperson declined to comment, and he did not respond to a request for comment. The resignation letter revealed that Driscoll had expressed concerns about Army transformation and readiness and Hegseth's interference in those efforts, specifically through his firing of generals.
Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Trump loyalist, has reshaped the Army by placing like-minded generals in influential positions, stifling lower-ranking officers' promotions, and dismantling diversity initiatives. As a result, the Army has lost leaders, and Driscoll and Pentagon Chief are at odds. Hegseth's leadership has led to the dismissal of dozens of Army careers without clear explanations, ultimately driving Driscoll out and solidifying the Pentagon's control under Hegseth's MAGA agenda.
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