Hegseth Is Winning The Battle Over The Pentagon’s Future

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll wanted to transform the service into a modern, tech-oriented force. Pete Hegseth made that almost impossible.

Driscoll resigned from one of the Pentagon’s top jobs this week after his vision became untenable with the Defense secretary’s desire for a department that prioritized appearance and cultural issues, according to a U.S. official and three people familiar with the internal dynamics.

The Army secretary, in his final months in the job, found his efforts to champion a leaner force with a lighter footprint challenged by Hegseth and the new acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve, who focused on gearing the Army toward grooming and fitness standards, according to the people. And that, coupled with the resignation of well-regarded top generals, led Driscoll to head to the White House and deliver his resignation to President Donald Trump.

“He was in an untenable position,” said one of the people familiar with the situation, who, like others, was granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue. “He set out from day one to transform the Army and make it ready for the next big fight, technologically and even on the acquisition side, to figure out how we could buy stuff cheaper and faster. And seemingly at every turn, Secretary Hegseth tried to block those efforts.”

Driscoll was clear that he was concerned about the future of the service, said another person familiar with the meeting. “He did not mince words with the president.”

The Army secretary voiced concerns over Hegseth’s blocked promotions of officers, many of whom are women and minorities, and other firings of top officers, the person said. He warned such moves were endangering the service’s modernization efforts.

Army Undersecretary Michael Obadal is expected to take over in an acting capacity, although some defense officials are preparing for the possibility that Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell will replace Driscoll and be nominated for the position. But he would likely face a difficult Senate confirmation.

The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment.

Driscoll and deputy Army Undersecretary Dave Fitzgerald, who is also expectedto leave in the coming days, had formed an alliance with former Gen. Randy George — who LaNeve replaced. They worked to push through investments in uncrewed technologies and draw private capital.

It’s not clear what will happen to many of those projects now that their leading proponents have all been fired or quit.

“My big fear is everything will just kind of snap back in place,” said a U.S. official. “If you take your foot off the gas for one minute, momentum dies.”

Some of those plans include a counter-drone task force in Europe canceled by LaNeve last month, and a push to adopt artificial intelligence, bring small tech firms into a system filled with legacy contractors, and build data centers on Army installations.

But at least right now, Hegseth seems to have the upper hand. Trump is “very high on Pete right now,” a senior White House official said.

The White House defended Hegseth’s leadership of the Pentagon, saying he’s aligned with the president’s anti-diversity, equity and initiatives stance. “After Joe Biden’s Pentagon prioritized DEI and woke ideology, President Trump and Secretary Hegseth quickly reversed course,” said spokesperson Anna Kelly. “The President has complete trust in Secretary Hegseth.”

Army and Defense Department officials have insisted that many of Driscoll’s signature initiatives, including efforts to restock Patriot interceptors, inject Silicon Valley investment into the industrial base and field lower-cost air defenses are continuing even after his exit.

But Hegseth faces a difficult road to getting replacements in place. LaNeve faces opposition to his confirmation on Capitol Hill after the surprise ouster of George angered officials.

Parnell, who has been rumored to replace Hegseth, has run unsuccessfully for Congress in Pennsylvania and has faced allegations from his former wife in court that he had abused her and their children. Parnell denied the accusations, and was eventually awarded shared custody.

And not only is the Senate out until after the midterm elections, but Congress still needs to push through a federal budget.

House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said Tuesday that he is "disappointed in the turmoil” at the Pentagon that pushed Driscoll to resign, although he did not directly criticize Hegseth or any other officials by name.

Fellow committee member Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said he was also upset by Driscoll’s departure, but pleased by reports that the outgoing secretary complained to Trump before leaving about numerous recent senior leader firings in the military.

“I know the secretary of Defense has a legal right to fire these folks,” he said, “but that doesn’t make it a wise decision.”

And House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) said he was a “big fan” of Driscoll’s, including the changes he made to the Army procurement process. “Especially now, with all this going on, we don’t need a lot of this divergence."

Democrats were more blunt.

“I do not welcome Secretary Driscoll’s resignation,” Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jack Reed (D-R.I.) said in a statement. “I am alarmed that Secretary Driscoll’s leadership of the Army stands in stark contrast to Secretary Hegseth’s disastrous tenure atop the Defense Department.”

Daniella Cheslow, Megan Messerly, Mark Satter and Leo Shane contributed to this report.