Narrowly confirmed by the Senate amid allegations of financial mismanagement in prior jobs and heavy drinking, which Mr Hegseth denied, the former Fox News weekend host and voluble culture warrior appeared badly underqualified and no match for the generals and admirals he would direct. A YEAR AND a half ago, few would have wagered that Pete Hegseth would consolidate power at the Pentagon. In office, the secretary of war has skirted scandal, be it mishandling classified information or forcing polygraph tests on his underlings. But far from seeing his power wane, Mr Hegseth has firmly taken control of his department and the military’s leadership. A rolling purge of America’s armed forces has cleared out his rivals and those deemed insufficiently loyal.
Since taking office, he has ousted at least 24 flag or general officers. Mr Hegseth’s purges have been dramatic. Many appear to have been dismissed for no reason beyond their race, sex or or associations with officers Mr Hegseth disliked. In April he sacked General Randy George, America’s most senior army officer, and someone with whom Mr Driscoll had forged a close relationship. Chris Donahue, a feted four-star general who headed US Army Europe and Africa, was forced into retirement two months later after Mr Hegseth downgraded his command. The departure comes at a pivotal time. Mr Driscoll, a former Yale university classmate and confidant of J.D. Vance, the vice-president, is believed to have acted as a check on Mr Hegseth’s more hawkish instincts over Iran. He made a personal appeal to Donald Trump just days before his resignation, reflecting concerns in many parts of the Pentagon about the mounting strain on America’s armed forces from the ongoing war in Iran and Mr Hegseth’s meddling in the ranks. Personnel churn has also undermined important modernisation efforts overseen by Mr Driscoll. The adulation Mr Driscoll attracted is thought to have upset Mr Hegseth, who is keen to dispense with initiatives associated with him and his allies. A new army battalion set up this January by General George to master the art of drone warfare, for example, is already being phased out by General Christopher LaNeve, the acting chief of staff of the army who is close to Mr Hegseth.
A former national guardsman who rose to the rank of major, Mr Hegseth has long held a particular grudge against the army, an institution he claims “spit me out”. Mr Driscoll’s deputy is also said to be on the cusp of leaving. The army secretary has been front and centre on the Pentagon’s drone procurement efforts (so much so that Mr Trump took to calling him “drone guy”).
Mr Driscoll visited Ukraine in November of last year; he walked a fine line, telling President Volodymyr Zelensky’s commanders that they were losing the war while initiating a tech partnership with the country’s drone specialists. As of today—and despite the ongoing war with Iran—the army has no Senate-confirmed chief of staff, secretary or commander of forces in Europe.
