Newsweek

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has submitted his resignation to the White House after months of reported tension with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Reuters reports, adding to a growing list of high-level departures and shake-ups at the Pentagon. The Wall Street Journal first reported Driscoll's resignation.

Driscoll, who has served as Army secretary since February 2025, was an ally of former Army Chief of Staff General Randy George, who was removed by Hegseth earlier this year. Driscoll's departure comes as Hegseth has faced scrutiny over a series of high-profile personnel changes involving senior military leaders.

In an email to Newsweek Monday night about Driscoll's reported resignation, White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said, "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. The United States Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work alongside the Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of War."

Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Army via online form Monday night for additional comment.

## What To Know

As Army secretary, Driscoll took on an unusual diplomatic role in the Trump administration, serving as a key U.S. figure in efforts to negotiate an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine. He was also involved in efforts to accelerate the military's development of drones and counter-drone technology as warfare increasingly relies on unmanned systems, the Associated Press reports.

The resignation now marks another major change at the Pentagon, where a number of senior military and civilian officials have departed, been removed or been replaced during Hegseth's tenure. The changes have affected multiple levels of the Defense Department, including senior Army commanders and civilian leadership, making Driscoll's departure part of a seemingly broader pattern of turnover at the Pentagon.

While previous administrations have removed individual senior military leaders, the number and pace of high-level departures and dismissals under Trump and Hegseth have drawn attention.

Rajan Menon, professor emeritus of International Relations at the City College of New York, told Newsweek in an email on Monday night that he "can't recall a time in recent decades when there has been so much upheaval in the senior levels of the DoD and the highest echelons of the officer corps. It goes well beyond Driscoll, so one can't credibly shrug it off and say that it doesn't matter or that it's being blown out of proportion by the press."

## Recent Pentagon Leadership Changes

- Army Secretary Dan Driscoll (reportedly stepping down)
- Former Army Chief of Staff General Randy George (fired)
- Former General Chris Donahue, the commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa (stepped down)
- Former General David Hodne, the head of the Army's Training and Doctrine Command (fired)
- Former Major General William Green, the Army's chief of chaplains (fired)
- Former Navy Secretary John Phelan (departed, effective immediately)

## Departure Comes Amid War in Iran

Driscoll's resignation comes at a consequential moment for the Trump administration, as the U.S. continues its military campaign against Iran and has carried out new strikes on Iranian military targets. Driscoll's departure is particularly notable because it takes place amid an ongoing reshaping of the Army's senior leadership, likely to raise further questions about Hegseth's management of the Pentagon and the stability of the military's top ranks.

At the same time, public support for the war has declined.

A new University of Massachusetts Amherst poll released Monday found that 68 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the Iran war, while 54 percent disapprove of U.S. military actions in Iran. When asked how well Trump has handled the war in Iran, 25 percent say very or somewhat well while 68 percent say not too well or not well at all. This marks a new net low for the president across three surveys from the pollster asking the same question.

The poll surveyed 1,000 respondents from August 21-26, 2026, with a margin of error of 3.5 percent.

In a YouGov/Economist poll taken earlier this month, Trump's approval on Iran was 30 percent compared to a 62 percent disapproval rating. The poll shows that 25 percent think the war with Iran was the right decision compared to 57 percent who think it was the wrong decision.

The poll surveyed 1,611 U.S. adults from August 14-17, 2026, and had a margin of error of 3.4 percent.

_Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gray R. Thomas_