Pete Hegseth reportedly removed Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George for getting involved in a conflict between him and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. He was fired after Hegseth allegedly suspected him of leaking sensitive information publicly about a dispute over military promotions. George was supposed to help mediate talks and ease tensions between Pentagon leadership and senior Army officials, but was instead perceived as disloyal.
Pete Hegseth and Dan Driscoll’s feud goes public, claims report
According to the Wall Street Journal, Pete Hegseth suspected Randy George of leaking sensitive information in public, tied to the internal dispute over military promotions, which led to his sacking without prior notice. The leak alleged that Hegseth’s office asked to remove certain names, including minority officers and those seen as problematic, from the promotions list. These changes didn’t sit well with Driscoll, which caused a further rift between the Pentagon leadership and senior Army officials.
The tension between Hegseth and Driscoll dates back to 2025, when Driscoll questioned Hegseth’s decision-making and authoritative capabilities. During his first day at the Pentagon, Driscoll planned to summon President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance to discuss army reforms and meet soldiers. However, according to people familiar with the situation, Hegseth dismissed his efforts, reportedly telling him not to extend his role beyond his authority.
The growing frictions inside the Pentagon have reportedly drawn the attention of members of Congress, who have questioned why important officials are being removed at a time when the country is in the midst of conflict. During a congressional hearing, the rift became evidently public when Driscoll shared his praises for the now-sacked George. He called him “an amazing, transformational leader.”
Apart from that, he also expressed confidence in his current role: “Serving under President Trump has been the honour of a lifetime and I remain laser focused on providing America with the strongest land fighting force the world has ever seen.” Driscoll further said, “I have no plans to depart or resign as the Secretary of the Army” (via Wion News).
Originally reported by Shazmeen Navrange on Mandatory.
