Hegseth’s ex-Army sec breaks silence on Pentagon tensions: ‘Unfair to describe our relationship’
WASHINGTON, DC: Former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll just broke his silence for the first time since he stepped down from the Pentagon in September.
He gave a more balanced view of his relationship with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth while speaking to Rolling Stone after reports that the two had constantly butted heads.
Driscoll admitted they didn't always see eye to eye, but he rejected the idea that their dynamic was defined entirely by conflict.
Dan Driscoll breaks silence on Pete Hegseth
“Once he makes a decision, there’s nothing I can do about it. I don’t have to like it,” he said of Hegseth.
“But I think it’s unfair to describe our relationship so flatly – that every interaction was bad, or that we disagreed on everything.” “If you polled us, we probably agreed on more than 50 percent of things. What’s been reported is all the things we disagree on.”
“I’ll never talk about our private conversations but we were both very passionate about our positions, and I would advocate as strongly as I possibly could – knowing I’m talking to my boss, and the final decision-maker.”
Driscoll said his role had been “to advocate as hard as I could for leaders who I thought were good.”
Driscoll is characterized in the piece as a keen modernizer of the US military, interested in innovation and ensuring the Armed Forces had the equipment necessary to meet the challenges of a 21st-century battlefield.
Driscoll, the youngest person to ever hold the position, breezed through his Senate confirmation in February 2025. He recalled approaching Hegseth early on and offering what he thought was a “gift”: his close friendship with JD Vance.
Driscoll figured that connection would make it easier for the Pentagon to get what it needed from the White House.
But the magazine reported: “Hegseth blew up at him… telling Driscoll that he needed to go through his office before reaching out to the White House, creating a tension between the two men.”
Pentagon pushes back on Pete Hegseth dispute reports
The Pentagon has rejected parts of the reporting surrounding the tensions.
But things only got worse between them as Hegseth started firing more top generals and admirals.
The final straw came when Hegseth removed Gen Christopher Donahue, one of two leaders who had backed Driscoll’s push to modernize the military.
By late August, Driscoll couldn’t take it anymore.
He told President Donald Trump he planned to resign, reportedly saying he was leaving because Hegseth had dismissed everyone working toward the reforms he believed in.
Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson, responded to The Independent’s inquiry about Driscoll’s comments by calling Rolling Stone “a fake news rag regurgitating months-old false narratives in an attempt to stay relevant to their ever-dwindling audience.”
He also alleged that its interview “is riddled with made-up claims regarding Secretary Hegseth’s historic achievements and transformative leadership.”
“Since Day One, Secretary Hegseth has focused on modernization across every branch of our Armed Forces and has moved with urgency to deliver on President Trump’s vision of Peace Through Strength,” Parnell said.
