Daniel P. Driscoll

Dan Driscoll
Head shot of Driscoll wearing a suit and smiling
Official portrait, 2025
26th United States Secretary of the Army
Incumbent
Assumed office
February 25, 2025
PresidentDonald Trump
DeputyDavid Fitzgerald (acting)
Michael Obadal
Preceded byChristine Wormuth
Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Acting
In office
April 10, 2025 – April 30, 2026
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byKash Patel (acting)
Succeeded byRobert Cekada[1]
Personal details
Born1986 (age 39–40)
Boone, North Carolina, U.S.
PartyRepublican
SpouseCassie Driscoll
Children2
EducationUniversity of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (BS)
Yale University (JD)
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service
2007–2011
RankFirst Lieutenant
Battles/warsIraq War
AwardsArmy Commendation Medal
Ranger tab
Combat Action Badge

Daniel Patrick Driscoll is an American politician, businessman, lawyer, and former military officer who has served as the 26th United States secretary of the Army since 2025. He served as the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from April 2025 to April 2026.[2] A member of the Republican Party, he was a candidate for North Carolina's 11th congressional district in 2020.

Early life and education

Driscoll was born in Boone, North Carolina,[3] and raised in Banner Elk, North Carolina.[4] He attended Watauga High School in Boone.[5] His father was an infantryman in the Vietnam War and his grandfather served in World War II as a decoder.[6][7] Driscoll earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2007, graduating in three years so he could join the Army,[5][8] and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2014 after his military service using the Post-9/11 GI Bill.[9][5] He was a Yale classmate and friend of Vice President JD Vance and Matt Blumenthal (the son of U.S. senator from Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal).[10]

Army service and corporate career

Driscoll attended the Army Officer Candidate School, where he was commissioned in 2007.[5][8] He served in the Army for three and a half years, leaving active duty as a first lieutenant. He was an armor officer between August 2007 and March 2011, including service as a cavalry scout platoon leader with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York. Driscoll earned his Ranger tab at U.S. Army Ranger School, and was deployed to Iraq for nine months starting in October 2009, where he saw combat and earned the Combat Action Badge and the Army Commendation Medal.[6][8] He was inducted into the Army OCS Hall of Fame in 2026.[11]

Driscoll interned for the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs; Ninth Circuit chief judge Alex Kozinski; Cravath, Swaine & Moore; and Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson[12] and worked at an investment bank in Charlotte, North Carolina.

He later moved to Winston-Salem, where he worked in venture capital and served on the board of a medical staffing agency. Driscoll served as chief operating officer of Flex Capital Management LLC from October 2021 to March 2023.[13] He later moved to Pasadena, California.[14]

Political career

Driscoll ran for the Republican nomination to represent North Carolina's 11th congressional district in the 2020 election.[15] During the 2024 United States presidential election, he worked on Donald Trump's presidential campaign as a senior advisor due to his connection to Vance, and was recommended by Vance to become the secretary of the Army.[8] He also appears in the directory of Peter Thiel's Dialog organization.[16]

Secretary of the Army

On December 4, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Driscoll to be the secretary of the Army for his second administration.[17] The Senate confirmation hearing was held on January 30, 2025[18] amidst cabinet officials for ODNI, FBI, and HHS.[19]

On February 25, 2025, the United States Senate confirmed Driscoll to the position of secretary of the Army by a 66–28 vote.[20] He was sworn in as the 26th secretary of the Army on the same day by Vice President JD Vance.[21] At the age of 38 years old, Driscoll became the youngest U.S. army secretary in history. In that role he has encouraged the Army to adopt the latest developments in drone technology, especially as they have been used in the Russo-Ukrainian war.[3]

On April 9, 2025, President Donald Trump announced Driscoll would succeed Kash Patel as the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.[22] In May 2025, Driscoll and Army chief of staff Randy George announced the Army Transformation Initiative, a modernization program consistent with a directive from defense secretary Pete Hegseth.[23] Also that month, Driscoll confirmed that the Army would cancel the M10 Booker project, citing high costs, a negotiated right to repair maintenance contract, its 38-ton weight, and its design.[24]

On November 20, 2025, he led a delegation of U.S. Army officials to Kyiv, Ukraine, and met Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in order to negotiate the end of the Russo-Ukrainian War.[25] Driscoll, who was going to visit Ukraine to discuss technology, industrial output, and strategy, was reportedly given the task of presenting the 28-point peace plan at the recommendation of Vice President JD Vance.[26] Driscoll told the Ukrainian leadership that if they do not accept the Trump administration peace proposal Ukraine's defeat on the battlefield would be imminent.[27] After that he visited Geneva, Switzerland, for further negotiations involving Secretary of State Marco Rubio and European officials, and on November 24, he arrived in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where he held talks with a Russian delegation.[3][28]

In April 2026, Driscoll spoke before the US House Committee on Appropriations and said that he had spent significant time with members of the Ukrainian leadership and that the United States was adapting some of Ukraine's military tactics. "The Ukrainians have fundamentally altered how humans engage in conflict," he said. "They have done an absolutely amazing job of innovating, and I am publicly on record saying we are learning a lot from them and we are changing to a lot of the lessons that they have taught us."[29]

Driscoll ordered the shutdown of all social media accounts associated with the Soldier for Life program in April 2026 after a post celebrating Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who lost both of her legs after an attack on her Black Hawk helicopter in 2004. Duckworth had voted against Driscoll's confirmation.[30] An Army spokesperson said the shutdown was routine, stating the legacy accounts were not managed by qualified Army personnel and were deactivated under an existing Army directive consolidating hundreds of social media accounts.[30]

Civilian casualties

According to a May 2026 Department of Defense Inspector General report, in February 2025 Driscoll and Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby separately submitted proposals to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to cut or eliminate elements of the civilian harm mitigation program; the Army proposal also recommended eliminating the Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan (CHMR-AP). [31]

At a May 2026 House Armed Services Committee hearing, Rep. Adam Smith (Washington politician) told Driscoll, ‘You are in violation of the law right now on civilian harm,’ citing the Inspector General report’s finding that the program had become largely inactive.[31][32] A Pentagon spokesperson said final decisions on the program were pending and that the department remained committed to minimizing civilian harm and meeting statutory requirements.[31]

Alleged tension with Hegseth

In April 2026, The Hill reported an increasing power struggle within the Pentagon involving Hegseth and Driscoll. Sources noted that tensions have heightened following Hegseth's dismissal of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George and two other high-ranking officers. Current and former officials have indicated that the tension between Hegseth and Driscoll has also surfaced regarding the Defense Secretary’s decision to block promotions for military officers. Some officials interpret these actions as linked to the rivalry with Driscoll rather than a disagreement over policy. Driscoll publicly rejected rumors about his possible departure, stating he has "no plans to depart or resign," and has received praise from the White House.[33] A former US official stated that Driscoll, a close ally of Vice President Vance, has been frequently mentioned as a possible successor to Hegseth if he were to be dismissed.[34] The White House reportedly informed Hegseth that he cannot remove the Army secretary. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Hegseth’s spokesman Sean Parnell has privately expressed interest in Driscoll’s position, although Pentagon officials deny any significant tension between Hegseth and Driscoll.[33]

Personal life

Driscoll is married to Cassie Driscoll, a plastic surgeon. They have two children.[35]

References

  1. ↑ https://www.atf.gov/news/press-releases/atf-marks-swearing-director-robert-cekada-ceremonial-event-agency-headquarters#:~:text=Cekada%20was%20confirmed%20by%20the,ceremony%20on%20April%2030%2C%202026
  2. ↑ "Director | ATF".
  3. 1 2 3 Evans, Michael (November 25, 2025). "Dan Driscoll: Trump's new man in the room with the Russians". The Times. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Driscoll, of Boone, appointed as Secretary of the Army". The Carolina Journal. December 4, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Macaulay, Catherine (April 17, 2025). "Who's Who in Defense: Daniel Driscoll, Secretary of the Army". BreakingDefense.com. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  6. 1 2 Nieberg, Patty (January 30, 2025). "Senators grilled Army secretary nominee for 2 hours. Quality-of-life issues barely came up". Task & Purpose. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  7. ↑ Driscoll, Dan (February 28, 2025). "26th Secretary of the Army: My Share of the Task". US Army. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Dan Driscoll is the soldiers' CEO". www.unc.edu. University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. November 11, 2025. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  9. ↑ Chavez, Karen. "Republican businessman Dan Driscoll runs for 11th District on security, job creation". Henderson Times-News. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  10. ↑ Myers, Meghann (January 30, 2025). "Army secretary nominee talks drones, recruiting, and lawful orders at confirmation hearing". Defense One. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  11. ↑ "DANIEL P. DRISCOLL". hof.ocsalumni.org. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
  12. ↑ "A Former Soldier Brings His Experiences to YLS" (PDF). Development News - Yale Law Report, Summer 2013. December 4, 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  13. ↑ Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report: Daniel Patrick Driscoll (PDF) (Report). United States Office of Government Ethics. January 19, 2025. p. 3. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  14. ↑ McCormack, Joshua (November 11, 2025). "Dan Driscoll is the soldiers' CEO | UNC-Chapel Hill". The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  15. ↑ Chavez, Karen (February 7, 2020). "Republican businessman Dan Driscoll runs for 11th District on security, job creation". Blue Ridge Times-Now. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  16. ↑ Cameron, Dell. "Leak Exposes Members of Peter Thiel's Secretive 'Dialog' Society". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  17. ↑ Pandolfo, Chris (December 4, 2024). "Trump announces picks for Army secretary, trade adviser, hostage envoy, NASA administrator and more". Fox News. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  18. ↑ Harper, Jon (January 30, 2025). "Trump's nominee for Army secretary calls for buying more commercial off-the-shelf tech". Defense Scoop. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  19. ↑ Fattal, Isabel (January 30, 2025). "What Trump's Nominees Revealed". The Atlantic Daily. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  20. ↑ Meyn, Colin. "Senate confirms Vance advisor as Army Secretary". The Hill. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  21. ↑ Collins, Shannon (March 3, 2025). "Driscoll sworn in as 26th Secretary of the Army". www.army.mil. U.S. Army. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  22. ↑ "Kash Patel was removed as acting ATF director, US officials confirm". Reuters. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  23. ↑ Driscoll, Dan; George, Randy (May 1, 2025). "Letter to the Force: Army Transformation Initiative". www.army.mil. United States Army. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  24. ↑ White, Matt; Nieberg, Patty (May 2, 2025). "The Army cancels the M10 Booker, a 'light tank' that was too heavy". Task&Purpose. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  25. ↑ Detsch, Jack; Cai, Sophia; McLeary, Paul (November 21, 2025). "A Vance ally rises at the Pentagon — with Trump's blessing". Politico. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
  26. ↑ Demarest, Colin (November 26, 2025). "The rise of Dan Driscoll, Army secretary turned envoy". Axios. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  27. ↑ De Luce, Dan; Kube, Courtney; Williams, Abigail (November 25, 2025). "U.S. Army secretary warned Ukraine of imminent defeat while pushing initial peace plan". NBC News. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  28. ↑ Noll, Andreas (November 26, 2025). "Dan Driscoll, Trump's latest hope for peace in Ukraine". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  29. ↑ Yankovska, Dariia (April 18, 2026). "Ukraine rewrites rules of war, US adopts its experience — US Army chief". RBC-Ukraine. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  30. 1 2 "Driscoll shuts down social media accounts after post celebrating Duckworth". The Hill. April 15, 2026. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  31. 1 2 3 Gedeon, Joseph; Brown, Cate (May 15, 2026). "Pentagon quietly shut legally required program to prevent civilian deaths by military, watchdog finds". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved August 14, 2026.
  32. ↑ Sampson, Eve (May 15, 2026). "Congress clashes with Pentagon over civilian harm reduction program". Military Times. Retrieved August 14, 2026.
  33. 1 2 Timotija, Filip (April 9, 2026). "Pete Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll battle for influence inside the Pentagon". The Hill.
  34. ↑ Jaffe, Greg; Schmitt, Eric; Cooper, Helene; Entous, Adam (August 25, 2026). "Hegseth's Purge of Top Generals Leaves the Army Rudderless". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  35. ↑ Trump, Donald J. (December 4, 2024). "Statement by President-elect Donald J. Trump Announcing the Nomination of Daniel P. Driscoll as Secretary of the Army". www.presidency.ucsb.edu. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
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