Kelly credits Driscoll with Ukraine talks, calls Hegseth ‘Secretary of War’
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has submitted his resignation to President Trump following months of friction with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the direction of the service and the ouster of numerous senior Army officers, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. Driscoll is expected to leave the Pentagon in coming days.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement that “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.” Kelly added that “the United States Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work alongside the Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of War,” a title she used for Hegseth that is not the formal designation for the Pentagon’s civilian leader.
Driscoll’s departure leaves the Army without any Senate-confirmed civilian or military leaders. Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army vice chief and formerly Hegseth’s senior military aide, has served as acting chief of staff since Hegseth fired his predecessor, Gen. Randy George, in April. Trump has not nominated a replacement for George, according to previous Wall Street Journal reporting.
Hegseth’s April firing of George drew criticism from some Republicans in Congress. Asked about George’s dismissal during a hearing, Driscoll told lawmakers, “I, too, love Gen. George,” calling him “an amazing, transformation leader.”
During his 18-month tenure, Driscoll formed a close partnership with George. Together, the two pushed the Army to adopt new commercial technologies for the battlefield and traveled to Ukraine so Driscoll could brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on peace negotiations, according to previous WSJ reporting. Under Driscoll’s leadership, private companies pledged to spend more than $25 billion on data centers, critical mineral refineries, and dining facilities on Army bases across the country. Driscoll, a former Army Ranger, received praise from Trump at a defense conference in Pennsylvania last month.
As MSI previously reported on August 21, Driscoll had been expected to step down by year’s end, if not sooner, following the same friction with Hegseth. His resignation formalizes that expectation.