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President Trump named Adam Telle, a civilian leader in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as the acting Army secretary following the departure of Dan Driscoll amid widespread reports of tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Telle is currently the assistant secretary of the Army for civil works but spent over 20 years working for Republican senators and in the White House during Trump’s first term, serving as the president’s chief liaison to the Senate.
Trump praised Telle in a Truth Social post, calling him a 'Great Patriot.' Hegseth echoed this in his X post, describing Telle as 'strong and whip smart.' Driscoll gave no explanation for his resignation, though his clashes with Hegseth have been reported. Some of Driscoll’s allies in the Army were removed by Trump’s Pentagon chief this year. Telle has been at the Army Office of Civil Works since August 2025, previously working for Republican Sen.
Bill Hagerty and Sen. Thad Cochran. He also served on the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Homeland Security Subcommittee.
In his recent role, Telle focused on commercial navigation, flood damage reduction, and permitting under the Clean Water Act. He previously approved a pipeline reroute around a Wisconsin tribal reservation and supported a $3.2-billion flood control project in North Dakota. Now overseeing the nation’s largest fighting force amid ongoing conflicts with Iran, Telle faces challenges in addressing military shortfalls in critical weapons like the Patriot and THAAD defense systems.
Driscoll, an Army veteran, had strong relationships with both Republicans and Democrats in Congress and was praised for his service under Trump and Hegseth. His resignation was met with criticism from both parties, with some blaming Hegseth for creating a leadership void in the military. Sen.
Thom Tillis criticized Hegseth for this, noting his clashes with Trump.
Source: Los Angeles Times
