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Trump Names Adam Telle as Acting Army Secretary After Driscoll’s Departure

From The Guardian · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Named sources New plan
  • President Donald Trump named Adam Telle, the Army assistant secretary for civil works, as acting army secretary after Daniel Driscoll resigned.
  • Driscoll’s departure followed widely reported tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, while some of Driscoll’s allies were removed from the Pentagon.
  • Telle will lead the Army as US forces remain engaged in conflict with Iran and face shortages of key missile-defense systems.

Adam Telle, a former congressional staffer with experience in Donald Trump’s first White House, will oversee the US Army after the abrupt departure of Daniel Driscoll.

Trump named Telle acting army secretary on Thursday. Telle currently serves as assistant secretary of the Army for civil works. The president called him “a Great Patriot, who is respected by all.”

a Great Patriot, who is respected by all

· Donald TrumpTrump used the description in announcing Telle’s appointment.

Driscoll offered no explanation for his resignation after 18 months as the Army’s top civilian official. His clashes with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had been widely reported, and several of Driscoll’s allies were removed by Hegseth, including Gen. Randy George, the Army’s top uniformed leader.

the honor of a lifetime

· Daniel DriscollDriscoll described his service as army secretary in his public statement on leaving the post.

Telle joined the Army’s Office of Civil Works in August 2025, according to Legistorm. He previously spent about two decades working mainly in Congress, including four years as chief of staff to Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee. During Trump’s first term, Telle spent 18 months in the White House as a special assistant to the president for legislative affairs. He also worked for more than a decade for the late Republican Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi.

The appointment comes as the United States remains engaged in conflict with Iran and has large Army forces stationed in the Middle East. The war has contributed to shortages of key weapons, including Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile interceptors operated by the Army.

We could not have made the progress we did without the support of secretary Hegseth

· Daniel DriscollDriscoll credited the defense secretary in the same statement.

Driscoll, an Iraq veteran and friend of Vice President JD Vance, had relationships with lawmakers from both parties. Before leaving, he told Trump about the Army’s condition, according to the Associated Press. In his only public statement, Driscoll called serving under Trump and Hegseth “the honor of a lifetime” and said the Army could not have made its progress without Hegseth’s support. Republican and Democratic lawmakers criticized his departure, with Sen. Thom Tillis saying Hegseth “is creating a leadership void at the top of our military ranks.”

is creating a leadership void at the top of our military ranks

· Sen. Thom TillisThe Republican senator criticized the circumstances of Driscoll’s departure.
About this summary

Originally published by The Guardian in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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