Rumors That Army Secretary Driscoll Is Being Considered as Successor
His Ally, Army Chief George, Abruptly Dismissed
Several Senior Officers Also Removed from Duty amid Dispute
His Ally, Army Chief George, Abruptly Dismissed
Several Senior Officers Also Removed from Duty amid Dispute
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses has moved to remove multiple senior military officers during the war with Iran, triggering internal strain. As clashes with Iran enter their eighth week, he dismissed the Army chief of staff and sidelined several top generals. Some observers question whether the moves were intended to curb Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, who has emerged as a rival. On the 19th (local time), The Wall Street Journal reported that Driscoll told lawmakers on the 16th he had expressed admiration for former Army Chief of Staff Randy George. Hegses had removed George, a 38‑year Army veteran, earlier this month; Driscoll’s remarks suggested he was not upset by the decision. “I respect General George — he’s an extraordinary, transformational leader,” Driscoll said.
It is highly unusual to dismiss a service chief while the United States is engaged in hostilities with Iran. Reports say Hegses did not notify Driscoll — who oversees the Army — before the firing. Mark Montgomery, a retired Navy captain and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, criticized the action. “Removing senior Army leaders and bringing in other personnel during wartime makes no sense,” he said.
Since taking office in January last year, Hegses and Driscoll have repeatedly clashed. The Washington Post reported that soon after Hegses assumed the post, Driscoll — a close ally of Vice President J.D. Vance — proposed arranging a presidential visit to the Army, a plan that sparked a heated exchange with Hegses.
The rivalry deepened after President Trump tapped Driscoll, rather than Hegses, in November to oversee Ukraine‑Russia peace negotiations. Internal sources say Hegses worried Trump was considering Driscoll as his successor.
In February, a meeting in which Driscoll was to present a promotion list to Hegses reportedly devolved into more than an hour of intense debate and ended without resolution. Reports say Hegses demanded that the list exclude Black and female officers; Driscoll refused.
After media accounts of the promotion list dispute surfaced, Hegses suspected Randy George, a Driscoll ally, of leaking the story and asked for George’s resignation. At the same time, rumors circulated within the administration that Hegses planned to fire Driscoll and then name himself Army secretary; Hegses’s chief spokesman, Sean Parnell, reportedly relayed that claim to officials. As the controversy grew, Driscoll issued a statement to The Washington Post on the 7th saying, “I have no plans to step down or resign as Army secretary.”
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