Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is reportedly preparing to leave the Trump administration following months of tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, potentially adding another major shakeup to the Army’s senior leadership.
The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Driscoll is expected to step down from his position before the end of the year and could leave even sooner, citing people familiar with discussions surrounding his departure.
Driscoll’s potential exit comes after significant changes at the top of the Army.
Hegseth abruptly removed Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George from his position in April, and President Donald Trump has not yet nominated a permanent replacement. Gen. Christopher LaNeve, who previously served as Hegseth’s senior military aide, is currently carrying out the chief of staff’s responsibilities in an acting capacity.
There have also been apparent signs that Driscoll may already be preparing to leave his post.
According to the Journal, Driscoll and his family moved out of the official residence designated for the Army secretary at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall during the summer.
Representatives for Driscoll and the Pentagon declined to comment to the newspaper about the reported plans.
Despite reports of tension between Driscoll and Hegseth, Trump publicly praised his Army secretary just last month during a defense conference in Pennsylvania.
Trump said Driscoll had a “beautiful smile but he’s actually a killer,” offering a public vote of confidence in the Army secretary.
The relationship between Driscoll and Hegseth has previously attracted attention.
An April report from the New York Post claimed Hegseth had become increasingly consumed by “paranoia” over concerns that he could eventually be removed as defense secretary and replaced by Driscoll.
That report, which cited current and former Trump administration officials, claimed Hegseth’s concerns about Driscoll’s position within Trump’s orbit contributed to the decision to fire George.
The report also linked those concerns to the ousters of Gen. David Hodne and Maj. Gen. William Green.
One source told the Post at the time that Hegseth had been informed by the White House that he could not remove Driscoll, “at least for the moment.”
“So what Pete has been doing is taking anyone he perceives to be close with Driscoll and going after them,” the source claimed.
If Driscoll follows through with the reported departure, it would mark another change among the Army’s top officials following George’s removal earlier this year.
For now, however, neither Driscoll nor the Pentagon has publicly commented on the Journal’s report, while the timing of the Army secretary’s expected departure remains uncertain beyond reports that it could happen before the end of the year.
