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The Army secretary’s departure will help Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth consolidate power at the Pentagon. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, a close ally of Vice President JD Vance, resigned after mounting tensions with Hegseth, leaving the post without a Senate-confirmed leader. He had been expected to leave by the end of the year, but clashes with Hegseth on things like the ouster of top Army officers played a role in his decision to depart, a source familiar with the dynamic told Semafor. “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,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Semafor. One of Driscoll’s underlings, Deputy Undersecretary Dave Fitzgerald, is also leaving, The Wall Street Journal reported. Hegseth has taken steps in recent days to exercise control over the department, which wields outsized influence over foreign policy goals beyond the Iran war, such as Trump’s plans for Venezuela. Last week, he also blocked the promotion of more Army generals. Asked about Hegseth’s reported presidential ambitions, Trump said his defense chief is “doing a fantastic job, but it’s very early to talk about that.”
document fetched 2026-09-02 06:32 · canonical https://semafor.com/article/09/01/2026/army-secretary-leaves-after-clashes-with-hegseth