Newsweek is reporting that Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned last night after 18 months of internal clashes with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The Atlantic is reporting Driscoll voiced concerns to President Donald J Trump last week regarding Hegseth's leadership, specifically mentioning the number of top generals and officers who had been fired, forced out or passed over for promotion.
Newsweek said past reporting indicated Hegseth had not been forthcoming with the president about munitions stockpiles. Currently, there is no confirmed leader for the Army and no chief of staff. The Hill is reporting that Dave Fitzgerald, the deputy under secretary, is also expected to resign. Newsweek noted that half of the 10 four-star generals have been purged, and The Washington Post reported yesterday that three of the five remaining generals voiced a "no concur" on Hegseth's war plans, indicating they do not believe military readiness could be sustained if another conflict were to break out.
Newsweek also highlighted that CIA Director John Ratcliffe flew to Moscow last week to deliver a message to Russian counterparts, reportedly warning them against attacking or testing NATO in the Baltics. President Trump described the trip as "semi-routine," but Newsweek noted it is extremely rare for the head of the CIA to personally travel to the Kremlin. The last such visit occurred in November 2021, when Ratcliffe reportedly warned Russian President Vladimir Putin against invading Ukraine, an invasion that took place months later.