According to a report by The Wall Street Journal on August 31, U.S. Army Secretary Driscoll has submitted his resignation to President Trump. The report states that Driscoll had significant disagreements with Defense Secretary Hegseth over the direction of the Army and the dismissal of several senior Army officers. Driscoll is expected to leave the Pentagon within the coming days.

Driscoll's sudden resignation before completing two years in office appears, on the surface, to be a personal conflict with Defense Secretary Hegseth. However, at a deeper level, it reflects intense power struggles and severe ideological fractures within the Pentagon during Trump’s second term.

The rift between Driscoll and Hegseth has been long-standing and escalated dramatically in April this year. At that time, Hegseth abruptly removed Army Chief of Staff Randy George—close to Driscoll and instrumental in advancing Army modernization—without providing adequate explanation. Driscoll was deeply upset and even publicly praised George as an "outstanding transformational leader" during a congressional hearing, effectively challenging his superior in public. Since then, their differences have intensified over issues including the Army’s strategic direction and the officer promotion list (Hegseth demanded the removal of certain minority and female officers), ultimately leading to Driscoll’s departure.

Driscoll’s resignation places the U.S. Army in a highly awkward position. With nearly a million active and reserve personnel, this massive military branch now faces a leadership vacuum at the highest levels—a situation extremely rare in U.S. military history—and will directly undermine the Army’s combat readiness and continuity of reform efforts.

Driscoll’s resignation is merely the tip of the iceberg in a broader purge of top military officials during Trump’s second term. This internal struggle reveals deep structural fissures within the Pentagon. When political loyalty is prioritized over professional military expertise, the U.S. military’s professional command structure is facing unprecedented challenges.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1875112770152586/

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