Army Secretary Driscoll Expected Out by Year's End

Army Secretary Driscoll Expected Out by Year's End

The News

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is expected to step down by the end of the year, if not sooner, after months of tension with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

Reuters matched the report, citing the Journal.

Driscoll's departure would leave the Army without a Senate-confirmed leader, according to the Journal's reporting.

Timeline

April 2026:

Hegseth fired Gen. Randy George as the Army's chief of staff, offering no explanation. President Trump has not nominated a replacement.

Since then:

Gen. Christopher LaNeve, formerly Hegseth's senior military aide, has served as acting Army chief.

Aug. 21, 2026, 4:43 p.m. ET:

The Wall Street Journal publishes its exclusive reporting that Driscoll plans to leave, following months of friction with Hegseth.

Aug. 21, 2026, evening:

Reuters and Political Wire pick up the report.

Reactions

None of the three reports carry comment from Driscoll, Hegseth, the Army or the White House.

The Journal attributed the departure plan to people familiar with the discussions and framed it as the product of months of tension between the two men.

What's Next

No departure date and no successor have been announced for Driscoll.

Because the Army chief of staff post also sits vacant of a Senate-confirmed officer, the service would be left without a Senate-confirmed civilian or military leader if Driscoll goes before replacements are named. Filling either job permanently requires a presidential nomination and Senate confirmation.

More

Two open questions hang over the reporting: what specifically drove the rift between Driscoll and Hegseth, and whether Trump moves on nominations for Army secretary and chief of staff before Driscoll's exit.

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