Pete Hegseth Gains Upper Hand in Pentagon Power Struggle

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A growing power struggle over the future direction of the US military has left Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with the upper hand after Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned, ending an effort to transform the service into a leaner, more technology-focused force.

According to Politico, Driscoll's vision for modernizing the Army increasingly clashed with Hegseth's priorities, which have focused heavily on military appearance, fitness standards and cultural issues. His departure came after months of tensions over the direction of the service and a series of senior military leadership changes.

Driscoll had sought to prepare the Army for future conflicts by investing in emerging technologies, speeding up weapons procurement and reducing the service's footprint. But his efforts were repeatedly challenged by Hegseth and acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve, according to people familiar with the internal dynamics.

“He was in an untenable position,” one US official said. “He set out from day one to transform the Army and make it ready for the next big fight, technologically and even on the acquisition side, to figure out how we could buy stuff cheaper and faster. And seemingly at every turn, Secretary Hegseth tried to block those efforts.”

Another person familiar with Driscoll's final meeting with President Donald Trump said the Army secretary was deeply concerned about the future of the service.

“He did not mince words with the president,” the person said.

Driscoll also raised concerns about Hegseth's decisions to block promotions of officers, including many women and minorities, as well as the dismissal of senior military leaders. He warned that the moves could undermine the Army's modernization efforts.

Driscoll's Modernization Push Faces an Uncertain Future

Driscoll and Deputy Army Undersecretary Dave Fitzgerald, who is also expected to leave soon, had worked closely with former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to advance investments in uncrewed technologies and attract private-sector capital.

Several of those initiatives could now face uncertainty after the departure of their principal supporters.

“My big fear is everything will just kind of snap back in place,” a US official said. “If you take your foot off the gas for one minute, momentum dies.”

Among the initiatives were a counter-drone task force in Europe, which LaNeve canceled last month, as well as efforts to expand the Army's use of artificial intelligence, bring smaller technology companies into a defense industry dominated by established contractors and build data centers on Army installations.

The Army and Defense Department have maintained that some of Driscoll's signature initiatives will continue despite his departure. These include efforts to replenish Patriot missile interceptors, bring Silicon Valley investment into the defense industrial base and deploy lower-cost air defense systems.

Still, the departures have raised questions about whether the Army's modernization agenda will maintain its momentum.

Hegseth Maintains Trump's Backing

For now, Hegseth appears to have the stronger position in the Pentagon's internal struggle. A senior White House official told Politico that Trump is “very high on Pete right now.”

The White House also defended Hegseth's leadership, saying his approach is consistent with Trump's opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

“After Joe Biden’s Pentagon prioritized DEI and woke ideology, President Trump and Secretary Hegseth quickly reversed course,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said. “The President has complete trust in Secretary Hegseth.”

The next challenge will be filling senior Army leadership positions. Army Undersecretary Michael Obadal is expected to serve as acting Army secretary, although defense officials are also preparing for the possibility that Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell could be nominated for the position.

Parnell, however, could face a difficult confirmation process in the Senate. He has previously run unsuccessfully for Congress in Pennsylvania and faced abuse allegations from his former wife involving her and their children. Parnell denied the allegations and was eventually awarded shared custody.

LaNeve is also facing opposition on Capitol Hill following George's surprise removal.

The timing adds to the difficulty of the transition. The Senate is not scheduled to return until after the midterm elections, while Congress is also dealing with the need to pass a federal budget.

Lawmakers React to Driscoll's Departure

Several Republican lawmakers expressed concern over the turmoil at the Pentagon without directly blaming Hegseth.

House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers said Tuesday that he was “disappointed in the turmoil” that led to Driscoll's resignation.

Rep. Don Bacon, another member of the committee, said he was upset by Driscoll's departure but welcomed reports that the Army secretary had raised concerns with Trump about recent senior military leadership dismissals.

“I know the secretary of Defense has a legal right to fire these folks,” Bacon said, “but that doesn’t make it a wise decision.”

House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Ken Calvert also praised Driscoll, particularly his changes to the Army's procurement process.

“Especially now, with all this going on, we don’t need a lot of this divergence,” Calvert said.

Democrats were more direct in their criticism.

Sen. Jack Reed, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he did not welcome Driscoll's resignation and expressed concern about what he described as a widening contrast between Driscoll's approach to Army leadership and Hegseth's tenure at the Defense Department.

“I am alarmed that Secretary Driscoll’s leadership of the Army stands in stark contrast to Secretary Hegseth’s disastrous tenure atop the Defense Department,” Reed said.

Read: Pete Hegseth: US Ready to 'Negotiate With Bombs' in Iran Conflict

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