Army Secretary Dan Driscoll submitted his resignation on Monday after months of feuding behind the scenes with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
He is expected to depart the Pentagon in the coming days, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Driscoll, a close friend of Vice President JD Vance, frequently clashed with Hegseth over the defense secretary’s leadership of the military, including his ouster of numerous senior officials.
Reached for comment, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told the Daily Beast in a statement: “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.”
“The United States Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work alongside the Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of War,” she added.
The Pentagon referred the Daily Beast to the Army, which did not immediately return a request for comment.
Dave Fitzgerald, Driscoll’s deputy undersecretary, is also expected to step down later this week, the Journal reported.
Driscoll has been considering a resignation for a while, with NBC News reporting that he had hoped to quit by Labor Day.
Amid his departure, the Army will not have any Senate-confirmed civilian or military leaders, as former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George was fired by Hegseth in April.
Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the defense secretary’s former military aide, has taken over as acting Army Chief of Staff in the interim, but Hegseth seeks to keep him in the position permanently.
Hegseth, 46, has reportedly felt threatened by Driscoll’s presence in the Pentagon and has sought to replace him to protect his own status within the administration.
“[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,” a source close to the administration told the New York Post in April.
The self-styled “Secretary of War” fired those close to Driscoll, including George, and tried to overrule his decisions when possible, NBC News reported.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
