According to a report by the British newspaper The Independent on October 5th, Dan Dresticker, a former U.S. Army minister who resigned from the Pentagon in September this year due to conflicts with U.S. Defense Secretary James Hagen, said that he has differences with Hagen on several issues.
"Whether I agree or not, once Hergeseth makes a decision, I have no power to change it," Driscoll said in an interview with the magazine 'Rock'n'Roll'. This was his first interview since resigning.
He added, “But to simply summarize our relationship as one where all communication is full of contradictions and we disagree on everything is unfair. If we do a survey, we may agree on more than 50% of things. What the media reports are all the parts where we do disagree.”
Driscoll did not elaborate on the specific points of disagreement between the two parties. He simply said, “I will never talk about our private conversations. But both of us are firm in holding to our respective positions. I will do my best to argue based on reason, and I know very well that the person I am discussing with is my superior, who is also the final decision-maker.”
On March 7th, local time, at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, Hageus and Driscoll stood in formation.
Driscoll is a veteran of the Iraq War and a technology investor. He also served as an advisor to Vice President Vance. They became friends while studying at Yale Law School. In February 2025, Driscoll successfully passed the Senate nomination hearing and became the youngest person to hold this position, at the age of 37.
He recalled that in his early days of service, he offered Hagecees what he thought was a ‘stake’—his close personal relationship with Vance. He believed this connection could help the Pentagon obtain the resources it needed from the White House.
"Hegasetis was furious... informing Dreischkoer that contacting the White House must first go through his office, this caused a conflict between the two." Rolling Stone wrote.
As Haggess continued to remove more and more senior generals and admirals, the conflict between the two sides intensified. Eventually, Army Chief of Staff Randy George and U.S. Army Commanders in Europe and Africa, Christopher Donahue, were also dismissed from their positions. Driscoll originally shared the same stance with these two generals in promoting military modernization reforms.
At the end of August, Driscoll could no longer bear it and informed U.S. President Trump of his intention to resign. According to reports, when explaining his reasons for resignation, he said that Hagersey had dismissed everyone who shared his reform goals.
Driscol and Hageath’s conflicts have been made public.
In February of this year, Haggis ordered Driscoll to replace his senior military advisor and spokesperson, David Butler, causing an internal stir in the Pentagon. Many US media sources cited anonymous officials, stating that the disagreements between the two involved not only personnel arrangements but also issues such as Haggis obstructing promotions for some army generals and interfering with army internal management.
In April, after Hagersey dismissed Randy George and two other senior officers without explanation, the power struggles among them escalated. There were even rumors that Driscoll, a ally of Vice President Vance, might replace Hagersey as Defense Minister. However, Driscoll publicly denied these rumors, stating that he had “no plans to resign.”
Regarding Driscoll's remarks, Sean Pennelly, the chief spokesperson for the Pentagon, responded by saying, "Rock and Roll is a fake news publication that repeatedly repeats false narratives from months ago, simply to maintain exposure among a dwindling audience." He also claimed that the interview "was filled with fabrications aimed at distorting Secretary Haggis's historic achievements and leadership in change."
Panell said, “Since the day he took office, Secretary Haggis has been focusing on the modernization of all branches of the military, and is working hard to implement President Trump’s vision of ‘peace through strength.’”
"Whether it's streamlining the bureaucratic system, giving greater freedom to frontline soldiers, or revitalizing the defense industrial base, Secretary Hagel is a groundbreaking Defense Secretary in the Pentagon. Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Hagel, the U.S. military will continue to maintain its position as the world's strongest combat force," said Paner.
When Driscoll left, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly praised him: "Driscoll was outstanding in advancing President Trump's agenda of 'reshaping America's strength' within the Army Department. He demonstrated excellent leadership in major military operations, re-emphasized the level of preparedness and lethality, and participated in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine among other matters."
She added, “Thanks to his close cooperation with the Commander-in-Chief and the Secretary of Defense, the strength of the U.S. Army has reached an unprecedented level.”
After Hessel took office, the Pentagon faced continuous personnel turmoil. Many senior military officials, including the Chief of Staff of the Army, the Chief of Naval Operations, and the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force, had already resigned or been removed from their positions.
After Driscoll left office, a rare leadership vacuum emerged in the U.S. Army. Neither the civilian head of the Army, nor the military chief of staff had a nominee approved by the Senate.
