WASHINGTON: Driscoll has submitted his resignation as US Army secretary, the White House confirmed Monday, amid reports of tensions between him and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly confirmed the resignation after being questioned about a Wall Street Journal report on Driscoll’s departure.
Kelly praised Driscoll for being “highly effective” in advancing President Donald Trump’s agenda at the Department of the Army.
Driscoll Praised for Army Leadership
The White House credited Driscoll with providing leadership during US military operations, strengthening the Army’s focus on readiness and lethality and assisting negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
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“The United States Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work alongside the Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of War,” Kelly said.
If formally accepted, Driscoll’s resignation would become the latest departure of a senior military official during Trump’s second administration.
Driscoll, an Army veteran who served in Iraq, was a law school classmate of Vice President JD Vance. He unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2020 before later advising Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
Hegseth Faces Criticism Over Departure
Reports suggested Driscoll had clashed with Hegseth despite enjoying influential connections within the administration.
Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he did not welcome Driscoll’s resignation and blamed Hegseth for turmoil within the Defense Department.
The resignation comes as the Army also remains without a permanent chief of staff after Hegseth dismissed General Randy George in April.
No permanent successor has yet been nominated, raising fresh questions about the leadership of the US Army.
