Sources say Hegseth is terrified of losing his job to Dan Driscoll, so he’s been quietly purging everyone close to him instead

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly been blocking military promotions for more than a dozen senior officers across all four branches of the military. Sources inside the administration say the real reason behind these moves is Hegseth’s intense “paranoia” that Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is trying to take his job. This insecurity has reportedly led to a quiet purge of anyone Hegseth sees as close to Driscoll.

The most dramatic example came when Hegseth demanded the immediate resignation of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, who was Driscoll’s top aide and had previously served under Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. George was expected to serve until September 2027, but was dismissed amid the ongoing Iran war. 

Two other Army generals, Gen. David Hodne and Maj. Gen. William Green, were also let go, with the department simply saying it was “time for a leadership change.” According to the NY Post, officials say Hegseth’s actions are far from normal. Defense secretaries typically don’t remove officers from promotion lists or reject individual recommendations from the service branches. 

Hegseth’s fear of Driscoll appears to be driving decisions that are shaking the entire military establishment

The officers being removed reportedly have no open investigations against them, which raises serious questions about Hegseth’s motives. At the center of Hegseth’s concern is his fear that Driscoll, a close friend and former classmate of Vice President JD Vance, could replace him. 

Driscoll’s name has apparently been floated as a potential successor since last summer, and his role as a Ukraine war negotiator last fall only deepened Hegseth’s suspicions. One official noted that Hegseth is specifically targeting the Army and anyone associated with Driscoll, beyond just his public stance against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Hegseth’s “insecurity and paranoia,” as one official described it, reportedly got worse after the “Signalgate” incident in March 2025, when a group chat with national security officials accidentally included a reporter. The White House has reportedly told Hegseth he cannot fire Driscoll, at least for now, so he has been targeting those around him instead. 

President Trump publicly praised Driscoll’s performance last year, which likely added to Hegseth’s anxiety. Reports also show that Hegseth was among those pushing hardest for the Iran war, making the internal chaos at the Pentagon all the more consequential.

According to NBC News, Hegseth has also reportedly blocked three Marine officers, two women and a Black man, from promotions despite recommendations from Marine Corps leaders. A list of naval officers selected for one-star admiral promotions has been sitting on his desk for over a month. 

Sources suggest some officers are being targeted because of their race, gender, perceived ties to the Biden administration, past support for COVID vaccine or mask mandates, or association with former Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley, whom Trump views as a political enemy.

When Gen. George asked to meet with Hegseth to discuss the blocked Army promotions, which appeared to disproportionately affect women and Black men, Hegseth reportedly refused the meeting entirely. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell pushed back on these reports, calling the story “full of fake news from anonymous sources who have no idea what they’re talking about,” and insisting that “military promotions are given to those who have earned them.” 

However, Sen. Jack Reed, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the blocking of promotions “disgraceful” and a “complete betrayal of the merit-based promotion system that is the foundation of our military.”

A retired senior military officer warned that this kind of interference “will certainly cast a shadow across our officer corps that everything they have said, done and written about during their careers could be politicized in a career-ending manner with the stroke of a pen.” 

Analysts have noted that firing a top general during an active war is nearly unprecedented in scale. The Iranian government even mocked the U.S. on X, writing “The regime change happened successfully,” alongside images of fired military officials. Meanwhile, Parnell himself is reportedly positioning to become Army Secretary if Driscoll is eventually removed, a detail that adds yet another layer to the power struggle unfolding inside the Pentagon.