Trump’s Army secretary hunt takes shape as insiders float potential picks

The hunt is on for the next Secretary of the Army after Dan Driscoll submitted his resignation to the White House, opening a key leadership vacancy atop the nation’s largest military branch.

Driscoll said Wednesday will be his "last full day" serving as Army secretary, adding that serving in the role under President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been "the honor of a lifetime."

The next Army secretary will inherit a service undergoing a major transformation, with questions over readiness and the Army’s role as the conflict with Iran continues.

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Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll and Sergeant Major of the Army Michael R. Weimer honored Old Dominion University Army ROTC cadets with eight Meritorious Service Medals and two Purple Hearts during a private ceremony on March 22, 2026, recognizing their courage in the March 12 classroom shooting. (Ian Ives / U.S. Army)

Army Undersecretary Mike Obadal could serve as acting secretary once Driscoll’s departure is finalized. A former special operations officer and defense industry executive, Obadal has also taken on a more public-facing role, including speaking at conferences.

In the Trump administration, deputy officials have repeatedly stepped into top leadership roles after resignations or firings— including then-Navy Under Secretary Hung Cao becoming acting Navy secretary after John Phelan’s departure this year.

Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman and a senior adviser to Hegseth, has emerged as one potential candidate, according to sources.

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Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell speaks during a press conference at the Pentagon on Mar. 17, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

"A lot of people inside [Office of the Secretary of War] want to see Sean Parnell become the next Secretary of the Army because they’ve worked alongside him and know what he brings to the table," a senior administration official told Fox News Digital.

Parnell, who serves as Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs, is a former United States Army captain whose platoon killed over 350 enemy fighters at the height of the Afghan War.

He unsuccessfully ran for the House in 2020 before launching a 2021 campaign for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat, earning Trump’s endorsement. He later suspended his campaign amid domestic abuse allegations from his ex-wife, Laurie Snell, which he denied.

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U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth listen to questions from the press during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David in Maryland, on July 31, 2026. (Aaron Schwartz / AFP via Getty Images)

The senior administration official said Parnell understands the Pentagon and the problems inside from military experience paired with his work at the highest levels of the institution.

"He also understands the importance of working alongside General LeNeve, who has been carrying an enormous load to keep the Army moving, and giving the Army Staff the leadership and support they need to get it back on track," the official said, referring to the acting Army chief of staff.

A senior Pentagon official told Fox News Digital Parnell has "proven time and time again" that he is loyal to the president, citing, that Parnell was present at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was shot.

After the president was removed from the rally, Parnell stayed behind to help others get out, the senior Pentagon official said. Parnell returned with Trump to Butler three months after the assassination attempt.

"Their relationship goes back many, many, years at this point, and it's not just with the president. It's also very senior members of the White House that are with the President every single day," said the senior Pentagon official.

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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks Wednesday during a valor upgrade ceremony at the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes in Arlington, Va., for U.S. Marines who served at Abbey Gate in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2021. (Pool / Fox News)

A third senior administration official told Fox News Digital that "Sean Parnell is 100% focused on the job he was appointed to by President Trump and Secretary Hegseth."

Florida Rep. Brian Mast may also be under consideration, a source with knowledge told Fox News Digital. The Trump-endorsed candidate serves as chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and previously served in the Army for 12 years.

Driscoll's exit comes after reportedly butting heads with Hegseth over concerns with the administration about the Army’s transformation and readiness, including his belief that Hegseth had hindered those efforts, Fox News Digital previously reported.

Parnell defended Hegseth’s leadership and said the department remains united behind his vision.

"Secretary Hegseth has been a transformative leader for the Department of War and, at President Trump’s direction, has ushered in a new era of Peace Through Strength. Standards and merit are back, our arsenal is stronger than ever before, and morale and recruitment across every service are at all time highs," Parnell told Fox News Digital. "Secretary Hegseth has slashed bureaucracy, unleashed innovation, and delivered for our warfighters every step of the way."

"The entire Department is unified behind the Secretary’s vision and will continue working to put our warfighters and America first," he added.

Democrats and some Republican lawmakers unloaded on Trump and Hegseth over the changes in the Department of War.

North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said Hegseth is "creating a leadership void at the top of our military ranks" while ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee Jack Reed of Rhode Island said, "Hegseth is cultivating a culture where dissent is punished and competence is secondary to personal allegiance."

Navy Secretary John Phelan was ousted in April after reportedly clashing with Hegseth over shipbuilding and management.

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Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on March 31, 2026. (Oliver Contreras / AFP via Getty Images)

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The White House directed Fox News Digital to DOW when asked for comment.

Fox News Digital reached out to Parnell, Mast, the Army and DOW for comment.