Trump names Adam Telle acting Army secretary after Dan Driscoll resigns

Adam Telle, a civilian Army official with more than two decades of work for Republican senators, will take charge of the United States Army after Dan Driscoll resigned as its top civilian leader.

President Donald Trump announced Telle’s appointment on Thursday. Telle currently serves as the Army’s assistant secretary for civil works. An Army biography says he previously worked in the White House during Trump’s first term as the president’s chief liaison to the Senate.

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a Great Patriot, who is respected by all

Trump praised Telle in a Truth Social post, calling him “a Great Patriot, who is respected by all.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered his own endorsement on X, writing, “Huge congrats to Adam. Strong and whip smart.” Hegseth added that Telle would be “an immediate asset to the @USArmy.”

Driscoll resigned earlier in the week after months of behind-the-scenes friction with Hegseth. His departure marked the latest exit of a senior military official during Hegseth’s tenure. Driscoll, an Army veteran and ally of Vice President JD Vance, had developed plans to change Army operations but expressed concern that Hegseth had pushed out generals responsible for carrying them out, according to a person familiar with the matter.

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Huge congrats to Adam. Strong and whip smart

Hegseth asked Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, a close friend of Driscoll, to step down in April. Less than three months later, Gen. Chris Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, submitted retirement papers. George and Driscoll had promoted an Army Transformation Initiative that called for more drones and other emerging technology, changes to force structure, and the removal of obsolete equipment. The Army also began planning last month to phase out a drone battalion formed to study lessons from drone warfare in Ukraine, amid tensions between its supporters and acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve.

Telle assumes oversight of the nation’s largest fighting force while the United States remains in conflict with Iran and major Army forces are deployed in the Middle East. The war has contributed heavily to shortages of Patriot and THAAD defense interceptors operated by the Army. Lawmakers from both parties criticized Driscoll’s departure, with some directly blaming Hegseth.

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an immediate asset to the @USArmy