Pentagon turf war ramps up between Hegseth and Driscoll 

A simmering battle for influence between Pete Hegseth and the Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has reached new heights with the Defense secretary’s purge of senior Army officials last week. 

Tensions flared when Driscoll was picked last year by President Trump to negotiate with Ukrainian officials in hopes of ending the Russia-Ukraine war, according to two former U.S.  officials familiar with the dynamics. A current U.S. official said Hegseth’s “paranoia” has been heightened in recent weeks as the president has fired two Cabinet officials.

“He’s just really uncomfortable with anyone who could potentially be outshining him,” the current official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the internal dynamics, told The Hill about Hegseth.

The Pentagon pushed back, saying The Hill’s “sources are serving up fake news to anyone gullible enough to write about it.” 

Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said in an emailed statement that Hegseth “maintains excellent working relationships with the secretaries of every service branch,” including Driscoll.  

However, a Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the dynamics, said Hegseth’s team “believes they’ve uncovered proof that Driscoll has become a resistance figure within the Pentagon not only against Hegseth, but against President Trump as well.”

Hegseth, a former infantry platoon leader who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, has axed more than a dozen senior military leaders who had backed diversity efforts he derided as “woke” or viewed as too cozy with the previous administration.

Hegseth’s firing of Driscoll’s widely respected chief of staff, Gen. Randy George, along with two other senior military officials last week, stunned defense officials as the U.S. is engaged in a war against Iran, the current official said. The firing came on the heels of the Pentagon chief ending the suspension of the Army crew who flew a pair of military helicopters near Kid Rock’s house in Tennessee, undercutting an Army investigation into the incident.  

The ouster of George prompted some Republicans to rally behind the decorated general, who deployed in support of Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. On Capitol Hill, it has shaken some GOP lawmakers who have largely backed Hegseth despite a series of scandals during his tenure, according to the first former U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. 

“There’s concern about the state and health of DoW going forward, if you get rid of good — really good — generals for no reason, and therefore they have concerns about Hegseth himself,” the first official said, referring to the Department of War, the........

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