Former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll gave his first interview since resigning from the Pentagon in September, after clashes with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The resignation followed a series of high‑profile departures during Hegseth’s tenure, a purge that reportedly raised concerns from President Donald Trump. In a Rolling Stone interview, Driscoll acknowledged disagreements on several issues but did not detail them.
Driscoll said he could not change decisions once Hegseth had made them, but described their relationship as more complex than headlines suggested. He noted that the public record focuses on disagreements, while he believes they agreed on more than half of matters. He added that he advocated passionately for leaders he believed were right, even when speaking to his boss, the final decision‑maker.
An Iraq War veteran, tech investor and former adviser to Vice President J.D. Vance, Driscoll was the youngest person to hold the post after a February 2025 Senate confirmation. He approached Hegseth early on with a ‘gift’ – his friendship with Vance – hoping it would help secure White House support. Hegseth reportedly rebuked him for bypassing his office, sparking tension. The friction intensified as Hegseth dismissed senior generals, including Gen. Randy George and Gen. Christopher Donahue, whom Driscoll had supported in modernizing the Army. Driscoll said he resigned in late August after explaining to Trump that Hegseth had fired those working toward his modernization goals.
The Pentagon’s spokesperson, Sean Parnell, called the Rolling Stone interview a ‘fake news rag’ and accused it of fabricating claims about Hegseth’s achievements. He defended Hegseth’s focus on modernization and the “generational” nature of his leadership. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly praised Driscoll’s effectiveness in advancing President Trump’s agenda, noting his contributions to readiness, lethality, and negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
