Army secretary resigns after tensions with Trump officials

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll planned to step down from Defense Department leadership after ongoing disagreements with Trump administration officials. Reports of Driscoll’s resignation emerged on Monday, after he spent about 18 months on the job. The resignation also came months after the Army’s top uniformed leader, Army Chief of Staff Randy George, stepped down in April, and the Army’s commander in Europe and Africa, Gen. Christopher Donahue, suddenly left office in June.

The Wall Street Journal was the first to report Driscoll’s resignation.

Politicians on both sides of the aisle released statements praising Driscoll’s work and achievements while in leadership. Driscoll was professional, responsive, and always willing to help, and the country is fortunate for his outstanding service, according to a Tuesday statement from Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. Driscoll’s leadership made a real impact by bringing a soldier’s perspective to the job, Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., wrote Tuesday.

Why is he leaving? Driscoll had not released a formal statement about his resignation at the time of publishing, but commentators cite the Army secretary’s apparently tense relationship with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Associated Press reported that Driscoll spoke with President Donald Trump about the state of the Army, then submitted his resignation.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-N.Y., released a Tuesday statement blaming Hegseth for Driscoll’s departure. Hegseth put a premium on political loyalty right when America needed strong and skillful military leaders, Blumenthal wrote. Hegseth wants sycophantic yes-men in leadership, and Driscoll’s resignation is a sad milestone, he added.