Reason for layoffs?
US Defense Secretary Hegseth is probably becoming more and more paranoid
Updated April 5, 2026 – 4:13 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
Behind the scenes, pressure is growing in Trump’s cabinet: the defense minister is already supposed to take action against possible successors.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is said to have pushed for the dismissal of the US Army’s highest-ranking general out of “paranoia” that Army Secretary Dan Driscoll could challenge his position. Current and former government officials reported this to the New York Post. At the same time, a possible successor for Driscoll is already emerging should he himself be fired.
On Thursday, Hegseth surprisingly called for the resignation of Chief of Staff Randy George, Driscoll’s most important military adviser – in the middle of the Iran war. No official reasons were given. “The whole thing is driven by the insecurity and paranoia that Pete has developed since ‘Signalgate,'” an insider told the New York Post. This refers to the incident from March 2025, in which Hegseth accidentally included a journalist in a group chat with high-ranking security officials.
The Defense Minister himself fears for his job and knows that Driscoll is considered one of the most promising successors. That’s why he’s taking targeted action against people he associates with Driscoll. Two other generals were fired in this context: David Hodne and William Green. The Defense Ministry simply stated that it was “time for a change in leadership.”
“There is a massive conflict between Hegseth and Driscoll,” a source close to the Trump administration told the New York Post. However, the White House made it clear to the defense secretary “that he cannot fire Driscoll, at least for now.”
Driscoll is considered a close confidant of Vice President JD Vance. Both studied together at Yale Law School after serving in the Iraq War. Driscoll was already considered a possible successor to Hegseth last summer. Hegseth apparently became particularly suspicious when Driscoll took on a role in negotiations on the Ukraine war in the fall. Behind the scenes, Hegseth tried to isolate Driscoll and shut him down. “He wants to fire him, but Vance protects him,” the insider told the New York Post.
