US Army secretary Daniel Driscoll resigns after dispute with Pete Hegseth

Daniel Driscoll has left his post as US Army secretary after a reported dispute with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Driscoll, regarded as a close ally of Vice President JD Vance, had held the position for only about 18 months.

The Army is normally led by two senior figures: its civilian secretary and its chief of staff, the top uniformed officer. Hegseth pushed then-chief of staff General Randy George to resign in early April. Driscoll had worked closely with George, according to CNN.

Several US media outlets reported persistent tensions between Hegseth and Driscoll as a reason for the resignation. CNN reported that Hegseth did not trust the Army secretary, in part because of Driscoll's close connection to Vance. The vice president and Driscoll attended university together and have remained friends.

Driscoll was also said to have a good relationship with President Donald Trump. He had at times participated in the US delegation involved in negotiations over a possible peace settlement between Ukraine and Russia.

The departure adds to a picture of internal conflict around Hegseth, whom the account says allows himself to be called the “war minister.”