Army Secretary Dan Driscoll expected to step down by year's end after months-long clash with Hegseth

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is preparing to leave the Pentagon around the end of 2026, capping a turbulent tenure defined by a prolonged power struggle with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that has rattled Army leadership at a critical moment.

Multiple sources confirmed to The Hill that Driscoll, a former venture capitalist and close ally of Vice President Vance, has signaled his planned departure. A former White House official and a separate source familiar with the discussions both pointed to a year-end exit. A U.S. official, granted anonymity, told the outlet Saturday that they had heard a similar timeline. The Wall Street Journal reported the expected departure first.

A third source familiar with the situation said Driscoll has long communicated that 23 to 24 months represents the natural lifespan of an Army secretary in the Trump administration. Driscoll won Senate confirmation on Feb. 25 of last year by a 66-28 vote. His spokesperson declined to comment on the departure timeline.

Driscoll pushed modernization while Hegseth pushed back

By most accounts, Driscoll spent his tenure trying to drag the Army into the future. He pushed the service branch to improve living conditions for troops, modernize equipment, and absorb lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war, particularly how Ukrainian forces have used commercial technology and unmanned systems on the battlefield. One source described him as "aggressive" in securing buy-in from general officers on these priorities.

Driscoll formed a close working relationship with Gen. Randy George, then the Army's chief of staff, and together they rolled out the Army Transformation Initiative last year. The initiative aimed to "deliver critical warfighting capabilities, optimize our force structure and eliminate waste and obsolete programs," with a particular focus on integrating drones and artificial intelligence into Army formations.

But Hegseth upended that partnership in early April when he ousted Gen. George from his post, a move that blindsided Driscoll's office. A U.S. official told the Washington Examiner that the Army Secretary was not informed of the decision in advance. Hegseth also fired Gen. David M. Hodne and Maj. Gen. William Green Jr. in the same round of surprise personnel actions.

Driscoll's response was pointed. He drove straight to George's home after the news broke.

"When we drove back from North Carolina, I drove straight to General George's house. We walked right in, and we all gave him a hug."

That public show of loyalty to a general Hegseth had just removed only deepened the rift between the two men.

GOP lawmakers broke with Hegseth over George's firing

George's ouster drew criticism from Republican lawmakers, an unusual rebuke within the party's own ranks. Rep. Ken Calvert, a California Republican, said George "should be congratulated on the work he did for this country" and that lawmakers "hold him in high esteem." Rep. Steve Womack, an Arkansas Republican, went further, warning about the consequences of removing a senior Army leader during a period of active transformation.

"Effectively stripping the Army of a senior leader in a wartime environment, while trying to undergo transformation procurement-wise, I couldn't think of two things I'd rather not do than that."

Retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery offered that assessment to Newsmax, capturing the frustration shared by several defense figures over the timing and manner of George's removal. Womack added bluntly: "Our country will regret that circumstance."

The friction between Hegseth and Driscoll extended well beyond personnel. Hegseth reportedly told Driscoll to "stay in his lane" during an early meeting, ending the session abruptly. He later pushed Driscoll to remove Black and female officers from a brigadier general promotion list, a demand Driscoll refused. And Hegseth sought to strip Driscoll of a Trump-assigned role negotiating with Ukrainian officials over the Russia-Ukraine war, a move sources interpreted as an effort to sideline a perceived rival.

Hegseth's broader pattern of aggressive personnel moves at the Pentagon has included restructuring senior military ranks across the department. He has fired or forced into early retirement the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the chief of naval operations, and the NSA director, among others.

Hegseth ordered Driscoll to remove his own public affairs chief

One episode captured the dynamic between the two men with particular clarity. Fox News reported that Hegseth ordered Driscoll to remove Col. Dave Butler from his role as chief of Army public affairs. Driscoll resisted the pressure for months before ultimately relenting. In a statement, Driscoll praised Butler's 28 years of service and called him "an integral part of the Army's transformation efforts."

Hegseth has also held up a promotion list of 34 officers for nearly four months over concerns about four or five names he cannot legally remove from the list, a bureaucratic standoff that has left dozens of careers in limbo.

The Defense Secretary's management style has generated controversy on multiple fronts, including his decision to launch a Pentagon-DOJ task force to investigate and prosecute leakers within the department.

Sources say Hegseth feared Driscoll as a potential replacement

An unnamed administration official told the New York Post that Hegseth's actions were driven by insecurity that intensified after the Signalgate controversy, the episode involving his use of the encrypted messaging app Signal for sensitive communications.

"This is all driven by the insecurity and paranoia that Pete has developed since Signalgate. Unfortunately, it is stoked by some of his closest aides who should be trying to calm the waters."

A source close to the Trump administration added that Hegseth "is very concerned about being fired and he knows that Driscoll is one of the top contenders, or a natural contender, to succeed him." The White House reportedly told Hegseth he could not fire Driscoll, at least for now, because of Driscoll's close friendship with Vice President Vance.

Driscoll's November assignment to negotiate with Ukrainian officials over the Russia-Ukraine war was described as a major inflection point that deepened the tension. Trump personally selected Driscoll for the role, a move that elevated the Army Secretary's profile in ways that apparently unsettled Hegseth.

Separately, questions have swirled around Hegseth's own conduct, including FOIA records showing continued use of Signal chats after the White House urged officials to stop using the platform.

LaNeve's confirmation remains stalled on Capitol Hill

With Driscoll heading for the exit and George already gone, the Army's leadership pipeline is under strain. Trump and Hegseth installed Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army vice chief of staff and a former military aide to Hegseth, as acting chief of staff. But LaNeve's Senate confirmation has stalled. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have raised objections, and while LaNeve has met with senators in recent months, no path to confirmation has materialized.

The Army is also planning to phase out a unit within the 173rd Airborne Brigade that had been studying and incorporating lessons from overseas conflicts, including the use of unmanned systems in the Russia-Ukraine war. That battalion had the backing of senior Army leaders, including Gen. George and Gen. Chris Donahue, the former commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. Its dissolution raises questions about whether the modernization priorities Driscoll championed will survive his departure.

Hegseth has faced scrutiny over other leadership decisions as well, including his handling of concerns about the extended deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln and its crew.

No successor to Driscoll has been publicly identified. The New York Post reported earlier this year that Hegseth spokesman Sean Parnell had surfaced as a potential candidate if Driscoll were ultimately removed.

When the man who modernized the Army walks out the door and the man who fired his top general stays behind it, the institution that suffers most is the one that fights the wars.