Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., an Army Ranger and combat veteran who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, warned that a pattern of departures at the Pentagon under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth poses a serious risk to the military, a day after Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned. Crow’s remarks were posted on X.
Crow: “Every American Should Be Concerned”
“Every American should be concerned about the purges, firings, and resignations at the Defense Department,” Crow wrote, adding in an accompanying video: “I cannot tell you how dangerous this is for our military.”
Crow Says He Worked With Driscoll Despite Policy Disagreements
Crow said he had worked directly with Driscoll on the Armed Services and Intelligence committees. “We had some policy disagreements, but I can tell you he was pushing hard to modernize the Army, to reduce inefficiency and waste, and to bring it into the 21st century,” Crow said. “The fact that he’s being pushed out is just another example of the fact that Pete Hegseth does not care about competency, about people trying to do the right thing. His only requirement is that people are blindly loyal and sycophants to him and Donald Trump.”
Driscoll Resigned After 18 Months, the Army’s Youngest-Ever Secretary
Driscoll submitted his resignation to President Donald Trump on Aug. 31, according to multiple outlets that first confirmed the departure, including the Wall Street Journal, NBC News and CNN. He had served as Army secretary since Feb. 25, 2025, becoming the youngest person to hold the position at age 38, and was a close associate of Vice President JD Vance from their time together at Yale Law School.
Sources Cite Blocked Modernization Efforts and Fired Generals as Key Factors
A person familiar with Driscoll’s resignation told CNN he “brought up concerns with the administration surrounding Army transformation and readiness and Hegseth’s blocking those efforts specifically by firing the generals who were responsible.” Axios similarly reported two central factors: Driscoll’s feeling that his modernization initiatives were being blocked, and disruption caused by Hegseth’s firing of senior generals.
Tensions Traced Back to Removal of Army Chief of Staff in April
Friction between Driscoll and Hegseth intensified after Hegseth removed Gen. Randy George, the Army chief of staff and a close Driscoll ally, along with two other generals earlier in 2026. Testifying before Congress in April, Driscoll defended George in personal terms, saying “there is no person that has more respect for Gen. George and his 42 years of service, his Purple Heart” and calling him “an amazing, transformational leader.”
Driscoll Had Reportedly Resisted Pressure to Fire a Senior Adviser
In February, multiple outlets reported that Hegseth had pushed for the ouster of one of Driscoll’s senior advisers, Col. David Butler, a former spokesperson for retired Gen. Mark Milley, a frequent target of Trump’s criticism. Fox News reported at the time that Driscoll had resisted Hegseth’s pressure to remove Butler.
Pentagon Recently Dismantled Army Drone Unit Driscoll Had Championed
Driscoll, nicknamed “drone guy” within the administration for his focus on rapidly upgrading Army drone technology, saw one of his signature initiatives undercut shortly before his departure: the Pentagon dismantled an Army drone unit in Europe that had been studying lessons from Ukraine’s drone operations against Russia, according to NPR.
Driscoll Himself Publicly Credited Hegseth’s Support
Despite the reported tensions, Driscoll did not publicly criticize Hegseth upon departing. In a farewell post on X the day before his last full day in office, Driscoll wrote that “we could not have made the progress we did without the support of Secretary Hegseth,” without detailing his reasons for resigning.
White House Praised Driscoll’s Tenure Without Addressing Internal Tensions
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement that “Secretary Driscoll has been highly effective in advancing President Trump’s agenda to Make America Strong Again at the Department of the Army by providing outstanding leadership during historic military operations, restoring an emphasis on readiness and lethality, assisting with negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and more,” adding that “the United States Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work.” A White House official told Axios that Driscoll had been asked to stay through the November midterms but told the administration he felt it was time to leave.
Departure Leaves Army Without Senate-Confirmed Civilian or Military Leadership
Driscoll’s resignation leaves the Army, the military’s largest branch, without both a Senate-confirmed secretary and a confirmed chief of staff. Gen. Christopher LaNeve, previously Hegseth’s military adviser, has served as acting Army chief of staff since George’s removal in April; the Pentagon has said it intends to formally nominate LaNeve for the position but has not yet done so, facing objections from at least one Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. The Washington Times reported that some of Driscoll’s closest staff described his departure as unexpectedly abrupt.
Republican Senator Called for Trump to Fire Hegseth
Crow’s criticism was echoed by Republicans. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who cast a pivotal vote to confirm Hegseth in 2025 and is not seeking re-election, wrote on X that he had “never witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country,” adding that Hegseth “is intimidated by competence and retreats to ginning up culture wars instead of soberly attending to the vital work of our national defense and the health and well-being of our fighting force.” Tillis said Driscoll “was the right man at the right moment to lead our Soldiers and Army civilians” and urged Trump to “find a new leader at the Pentagon who will retain and empower our military talent rather than diminish it.” Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said he agreed with Tillis’s sentiment, adding of Hegseth: “He would not be on my team.”
Other Republicans Voiced Concern Without Directly Criticizing Hegseth
Other GOP lawmakers stopped short of calling for Hegseth’s removal but expressed unease. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he was “disappointed” by Driscoll’s departure and predicted senators would press Pentagon leaders with questions “in terms of, where is the leadership at” when Congress reconvenes Sept. 14. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said, “I’m tired of all the churn. I want to see some stability over there.” Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the committee’s ranking Democrat, said Hegseth “is cultivating a culture where dissent is punished and competence is secondary to personal allegiance.”
Some Republicans Defended Hegseth’s Personnel Authority
Not all Republican reaction was critical. Some lawmakers said Hegseth was within his authority to reshape Pentagon leadership as he saw fit, with one telling reporters Hegseth “has every authority to go out there and say, ‘We’re going to have the right people’ ” in place, whether in an interim or permanent capacity.
Departure Fits Broader Pattern of Senior Pentagon Exits Under Hegseth
Driscoll’s exit follows the removal of Navy Secretary John Phelan and Gen. George earlier in 2026, part of a broader pattern of firings, forced retirements and resignations of senior military and civilian Pentagon officials since Hegseth took office in January 2025. Crow has been a consistent public critic of these personnel changes, previously describing the Pentagon’s leadership environment in terms similar to Monday’s remarks.
Resignation Comes as Iran War Continues Into Its Seventh Month
Driscoll’s departure comes as the U.S. war with Iran, which began in late February and has involved substantial Army deployments, continues with no clear end date, adding urgency to concerns about leadership continuity at the Army’s top levels during ongoing operations.