Will Trump Fire Pete Hegseth? US Defence Secretary 'Paranoid' About Losing His Job

Last Updated:April 04, 2026, 13:45 IST

Reports suggesting Pete Hegseth will be replaced came after he demanded the resignation of US Army Chief of Staff General Randy George in the middle of the Iran war.

After the ouster of US Attorney General Pam Bondi, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is also “paranoid" about losing his job, which contributed to the firing of US Army chief Randy George on Thursday, according to a report.

Hegseth on Thursday demanded the resignation of US Army Chief of Staff General Randy George in the middle of the war against Iran for reasons that are yet to be publicly revealed. The US Defence Secretary is now concerned that Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will take his own place, Trump administration officials told the New York Post.

“This is all driven by the insecurity and paranoia that Pete has developed since Signalgate. Unfortunately, it is stoked by some of his closest aides who should be trying to calm the waters," an official told the US outlet, referring to Hegseth’s March 2025 group chat with national security officials that inadvertently included a reporter.

READ MORE: After Pam Bondi, Will Trump Let Go Of Kash Patel And Tulsi Gabbard? Why The Firing Spree?

Why Is Hegseth ‘Paranoid’?

A source close to the Trump administration said Hegseth had a “big conflict" with Driscoll and had been told by the White House that he can’t be fired, at least for the moment. “(Hegseth) is very concerned about being fired, and he knows that Driscoll is one of the top contenders, or a natural contender, to succeed him," the source said.

Hegseth’s move to fire General Randy George was reportedly aimed at removing anyone with close ties to Driscoll, also a close friend of US Vice-President JD Vance. Driscoll and Vance attended Yale Law School together after serving in the Iraq War.

Driscoll’s name was floated as a possible Hegseth successor last year, and the Defence Secretary’s suspicions grew after the former served as a negotiator for the Ukraine war, heightening tensions within Trump’s so-called Department of War. “Hegseth wants to fire him, but Vance has his back," an official told NYP.

John Ullyot, a Marine Corps veteran who served in national security roles in both of Trump’s administrations, said Driscoll “is the real deal, and Hegseth can’t stand when Army generals show Driscoll the respect he has earned through his service."

“Pete got very paranoid about Driscoll talking behind his back to others in the military. The final straw for Pete was when Vance got Driscoll to go over to Ukraine to be the chief negotiator for that one meeting. It’s really gotten under Hegseth’s skin. He’s trying to make everyone around Driscoll suffer for no reason," another source said.

Who Will Replace Driscoll?

According to an administration official, Hegseth’s top spokesperson Sean Parnell is “pushing himself" to be Army secretary if Driscoll is ultimately fired. Parnell was awarded the Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for his service in Afghanistan and two Pentagon colleagues said he would be an obvious option if a vacancy emerges, as per the report.

“It wouldn’t be out of line to speculate that Sean would be considered as a successor as he is one of the highest profile Army veterans serving at the top of the department right now," a Pentagon official said.

As of now, there’s no indication that Trump is prepared to immediately dismiss either Hegseth or Driscoll, but the clash heightens the stakes for each official. Trump’s recent cabinet shuffles — including firing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in March and Pam Bondi this week – have indicated a broader shake-up.

ALSO READ: Why Did Trump Fire Pam Bondi? Ex-US Attorney General ‘Begged’ Him To Let Her Stay

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