Trump Reportedly ‘Expressed Concern’ Over Hegseth’s Army Purge in Private Meeting
AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein
President Donald Trump reportedly “expressed concern” about the number of senior Army leaders pushed out under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after outgoing Army Secretary Dan Driscoll raised the issue with him during a private White House meeting last week.
Driscoll went directly to Trump as tensions with Hegseth reached a breaking point, The Atlantic reported Monday, citing four people familiar with the conversation. Driscoll also told the president during the meeting that he planned to resign, a departure first reported by The Wall Street Journal on Aug. 21 and made final on Monday.
The magazine wrote of Trump and Driscoll’s private face-to-face:
Trump was surprised when Driscoll told him how many generals and other top officers had been fired, pushed out, or passed over for promotion under Hegseth, one of the people said. Driscoll argued that the Army could not transform itself the way it needs to, because of the departure of so many leaders, this person said, adding that Trump expressed concern about the deep cuts to the Army’s senior leadership. Driscoll informed the president of his intention to resign—and by today, Driscoll was on his way out.
Driscoll’s exit leaves significant vacancies atop the Army. The service currently has no permanent civilian secretary or Senate-confirmed chief of staff, while other senior operational and European command posts also lack confirmed leaders. The Army, which has more than 450,000 active-duty soldiers, now “has fewer generals than at any point in recent history,” according to The Atlantic.
Personnel decisions had emerged as a major source of friction between Hegseth and Driscoll. Driscoll had backed Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, whom Hegseth ultimately fired in April. Gen. Chris Donahue, who commanded U.S. Army Europe and Africa, was later removed as well.
Gen. Christopher LaNeve, Hegseth’s pick for the Army’s No. 2 post, has served as acting chief of staff after George’s ouster, frequently sidestepping Driscoll to take decisions directly to Hegseth, according to the magazine. Hegseth is expected to nominate LaNeve for George’s former job, though lawmakers hostile to Hegseth could complicate his confirmation.
Pentagon officials also reportedly fear Hegseth ally and spokesperson Sean Parnell could replace Driscoll, giving the defense secretary even greater influence over the Army and its personnel. Asked about the potential consequences of a more politically aligned successor, one defense official told The Atlantic, “What happens then? Generational damage.”
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