Daniel P. Driscoll
United States secretary of the Army since 2025
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Daniel Patrick Driscoll is an American politician, businessman, lawyer, and former military officer who has served as the 26th United States secretary of the Army as well as the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives since 2025.[1] A member of the Republican Party, he was a candidate for North Carolina's 11th congressional district in 2020.
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Michael Obadal
Dan Driscoll | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2025 | |
| 26th United States Secretary of the Army | |
| Assumed office February 25, 2025 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | David Fitzgerald (acting) Michael Obadal |
| Preceded by | Christine Wormuth |
| Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives | |
Acting | |
| Assumed office April 10, 2025 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Kash Patel (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1986 (age 39–40) Boone, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Cassie Driscoll |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (BS) Yale University (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 2007–2011 |
| Rank | First Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | Iraq War |
| Awards | Army Commendation Medal Ranger tab Combat Action Badge |
Early life and education
Driscoll was born in Boone, North Carolina,[2] and raised in Banner Elk, North Carolina.[3] He attended Watauga High School.[4] Driscoll's father was an infantryman in the Vietnam War and his grandfather served in World War II as a decoder.[5][6] He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2007, graduating in three years so he could join the Army,[4][7] and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2014 after his military service using the post-9/11 GI Bill.[8][4] He was a Yale classmate and friend of Vice President JD Vance, and Matt Blumenthal (the son of U.S. senator from Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal).[9]
Army service and corporate career
Driscoll attended the Army Officer Candidate School, where he was commissioned in 2007.[4][7] He served in the Army for three and a half years, leaving active duty as a first lieutenant. He was an armor officer between August 2007 and March 2011, including service as a cavalry scout platoon leader with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York. Driscoll earned his Ranger tab at U.S. Army Ranger School, and was deployed to Iraq for nine months starting in October 2009, where he saw combat and earned the Combat Action Badge and the Army Commendation Medal.[5][7] He was inducted into the Army OCS Hall of Fame in 2026.[10]
Driscoll interned for the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs; Ninth Circuit chief judge Alex Kozinski; Cravath, Swaine & Moore; and Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson[11] and worked at an investment bank in Charlotte, North Carolina.
He later moved to Winston-Salem, where he worked in venture capital and served on the board of a medical staffing agency. Driscoll served as chief operating officer of Flex Capital Management LLC from October 2021 to March 2023.[12] He later moved to Pasadena, California.[13]
Political career
Driscoll ran for the Republican nomination to represent North Carolina's 11th congressional district in the 2020 election.[14] During the 2024 United States presidential election, he worked on Donald Trump's presidential campaign as a senior advisor due to his connection to Vance, and was recommended by Vance to become the secretary of the Army.[7]
Secretary of the Army
On December 4, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Driscoll to be the secretary of the Army for his second administration.[15] The Senate confirmation hearing was held on January 30, 2025[16] amidst cabinet officials for ODNI, FBI, and HHS.[17]
On February 25, 2025, the United States Senate confirmed Driscoll to the position of secretary of the Army by a 66–28 vote.[18] He was sworn in as the 26th secretary of the Army on the same day by Vice President JD Vance.[19] At the age of 38 years old, Driscoll became the youngest U.S. army secretary in history. In that role he has encouraged the Army to adopt the latest developments in drone technology, especially as they have been used in the Russo-Ukrainian war.[2]
On April 9, 2025, President Donald Trump announced Driscoll would succeed Kash Patel as the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.[20] In May 2025, Driscoll and Army chief of staff Randy George announced the Army Transformation Initiative, a modernization program consistent with a directive from defense secretary Pete Hegseth.[21] Also that month, Driscoll confirmed that the Army would cancel the M10 Booker project, citing high costs, a negotiated right to repair maintenance contract, its 38-ton weight, and its design.[22]
On November 20, 2025, he led a delegation of U.S. Army officials to Kyiv, Ukraine, and met Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in order to negotiate the end of the Russo-Ukrainian War.[23] Driscoll, who was going to visit Ukraine to discuss technology, industrial output, and strategy, was reportedly given the task of presenting the 28-point peace plan at the recommendation of Vice President JD Vance.[24] Driscoll told the Ukrainian leadership that if they do not accept the Trump administration peace proposal Ukraine's defeat on the battlefield would be imminent.[25] After that he visited Geneva, Switzerland, for further negotiations involving Secretary of State Marco Rubio and European officials, and on November 24, he arrived in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where he held talks with a Russian delegation.[2][26]
In April 2026, Driscoll spoke before the US House Committee on Appropriations and said that he had spent significant time with members of the Ukrainian leadership and that the United States was adapting some of Ukraine's military tactics. "The Ukrainians have fundamentally altered how humans engage in conflict," he said. "They have done an absolutely amazing job of innovating, and I am publicly on record saying we are learning a lot from them and we are changing to a lot of the lessons that they have taught us."[27]
Alleged tension with Hegseth
In April 2026, The Hill reported an increasing power struggle within the Pentagon involving Hegseth and Driscoll. Sources noted that tensions have heightened following Hegseth's dismissal of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George and two other high-ranking officers. Current and former officials have indicated that the tension between Hegseth and Driscoll has also surfaced regarding the Defense Secretary’s decision to block promotions for military officers. Some officials interpret these actions as linked to the rivalry with Driscoll rather than a disagreement over policy. Driscoll publicly rejected rumors about his possible departure, stating he has "no plans to depart or resign," and has received praise from the White House. A former US official stated that Driscoll, a close ally of Vice President Vance, has been frequently mentioned as a possible successor to Hegseth if he were to be dismissed. The White House reportedly informed Hegseth that he cannot remove the Army secretary. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Hegseth’s spokesman Sean Parnell has privately expressed interest in Driscoll’s position, although Pentagon officials deny any significant tension between Hegseth and Driscoll.[28]
Personal life
Driscoll is married to Cassie Driscoll, a plastic surgeon. They have two children.[29]