The Wall Street Journal, citing informed sources, reported on August 31 that army secretary Dan Driscoll is expected to resign by the end of this year or sooner, following months of tension with defense secretary Pete Hegseth. Fox News quoted a U.S. official, who stated Driscoll discussed the current state of the army with President Donald Trump before submitting his resignation.

When asked for comment, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly neither confirmed nor denied the reports.

"Army secretary Driscoll effectively contributed to advancing President Trump's 'Make America Strong Again' agenda at the Department of the Army, leading the army through important military operations, strengthening combat readiness, and supporting Russia-Ukraine negotiations," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly stated.

"Thanks to Driscoll's contributions, along with the commander-in-chief and the defense secretary, the U.S. Army is stronger than ever," Kelly continued.

The Pentagon and the U.S. Department of the Army have not yet commented on the information.

Army secretary Dan Driscoll at the White House in August 2025. Photo: AFP

Army secretary Dan Driscoll at the White House in August 2025. Photo: AFP

Driscoll is an Iraq War veteran, a technology investor, and a former advisor to Vice President JD Vance. President Trump once described Driscoll as a "disruptor and change agent" when nominating him for the position of U.S. army secretary.

The U.S. Senate confirmed Driscoll's appointment in February 2025. As army secretary, Driscoll advocated for cutting bureaucracy to allow defense contractors to rapidly develop more drones and counter-drone technologies, amidst quickly changing global warfare methods. Driscoll also played a key role as a principal negotiator in efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

U.S. media reported in April that Hegseth and Driscoll had a "pre-existing conflict" and recently disagreed on several issues.

The tension appears to have started in early 2025 when Driscoll was mentioned within the Trump administration as a "potential candidate to replace Hegseth". At the time, the U.S. defense secretary was seeking to assert his position amidst several controversies during his first year in office.

However, President Trump continued to support the U.S. defense secretary at that time. The U.S. leader recently reiterated that Hegseth was "born for this role".

The defense secretary and the U.S. army secretary later continued to clash on various issues, including Hegseth's refusal to approve promotions for several army generals.

By Nhu Tam (According to AP, Reuters)