Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll submitted his resignation to the White House on Monday, following months of tension with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
A former Army officer who fought in Iraq and a Yale Law School classmate of Vice President J.D. Vance, Mr. Driscoll spent 18 months on the job before tendering his resignation.
No reason was given for the resignation, and Pentagon officials did not comment about the matter.
Anna Kelly, a White House spokesperson, released a statement about Mr. Driscoll but did not directly address his status as Army secretary.
“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,” she said in the statement.
There have been reports of friction between Mr. Driscoll and Mr. Hegseth over high-level personnel shakeups in the Army, including the ouster of Gen. Randy George, the former Army Chief of Staff.
Mr. Driscoll’s exit would leave the service without a top civilian leader and a Senate-confirmed uniformed chief.
Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army’s Vice Chief of Staff, has yet to be nominated for the position. Some Republicans in the Senate are said to be hesitant about giving Mr. Hegseth’s former military aide the top position.
Mr. Driscoll formed a close working relationship with Gen. George, who accompanied him to Ukraine in November 2025 for high-level talks regarding peace negotiations.
In April, Mr. Driscoll told lawmakers during a Defense Appropriations subcommittee hearing that he was with his children in North Carolina when he learned that Gen. George had been told to submit his retirement papers.
“When we drove back from North Carolina, I drove straight to Gen. George’s house. We walked right in, and we all gave him a hug,” he said. “There is no person that has more respect for Gen. George and his 42 years of service, his Purple Heart, his wife Patty, their grandkids and their kids. He was an amazing, transformational leader.”
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