Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s concerns about losing his job prompted the recent firings of top U.S. Army officials, a new report claims.
Hegseth forced out Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George this week, along with Gen. David Hodne and Maj. Gen. William Green Jr..
Now, the New York Post reports the defense secretary’s “paranoia” about being replaced by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll was behind the ouster.
“This is all driven by the insecurity and paranoia that Pete has developed since Signalgate. Unfortunately, it is stoked by some of his closest aides who should be trying to calm the waters,” an official told the New York Post.
Hegseth “has got a big conflict with Driscoll,” a source close to President Donald Trump’s administration reportedly said.
“And he’s been told by the White House he can’t fire Driscoll, at least for the moment,” the source told the outlet.
“[Hegseth] is very concerned about being fired and he knows that Driscoll is one of the top contenders, or a natural contender, to succeed him,” they added. “So what Pete has been doing is taking anyone he perceives to be close with Driscoll and going after them. And this is the latest and most spectacular [example] of that.”
Driscoll was tapped to assist with Ukraine peace talks last year, which helped fuel the apparent conflict between the two men, the report claims.
“It’s really gotten under Hegseth’s skin. He’s trying to make everyone around [Driscoll] suffer for no reason,” a source told the New York Post.
When reached for comment, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement to The Independent: “Secretary Hegseth maintains excellent working relationships with the secretaries of every military service branch, including Army Secretary Dan Driscoll.”
Parnell could be a contender to replace Driscoll if he were to leave his role, according to the New York Post.
Still, Parnell is “focused on the job he has now, as is Army Secretary Driscoll,” a senior department official said in a statement to The Independent.
“It wouldn’t be out of line to speculate that Sean would be considered as a successor as he is one of the highest profile Army veterans serving at the top of Department right now, but both men are focused on serving the President and doing the job they have now,” the official added.
Parnell previously confirmed George’s departure in a statement on X.
“General Randy A. George will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately,” he wrote Thursday. “The Department of War is grateful for General George’s decades of service to our nation. We wish him well in his retirement.”
This comes after the New York Times reported that Hegseth blocked four Army officers, including two Black people and two women, from being promoted. George and Driscoll had clashed with Hegseth over that decision, according to the outlet.
Several top military leaders have been removed since Trump took office last year. The list includes the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., and the former Defense Intelligence Agency director, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse.
In the wake of Thursday’s announcement, several Republican lawmakers were quick to praise George.
Representative Mike Rogers, the chair of the House Armed Services Committee, thanked him for his “selfless service to America.”
“Throughout his long career in service to America, Gen. George has demonstrated his commitment, courage, and leadership. In his time as the Chief of Staff, we made great progress on increasing recruitment, improving efficiency, and modernizing the Army,” he said in a statement.
Representative Austin Scott called George an “asset to our country” who was “always putting service before self.”
“General Randy George is a great general, principled leader, & a committed American. The wisdom of his council comes from his many years of experience and his character as a man,” he wrote on X.
