All of the top military leaders who have exited under Hegseth

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, eager to reshape the military and reduce the number of generals and senior ranks, has been at the forefront of pushing leaders out.
• President Trump has made the case for exits, too.

The latest: Driscoll's departure came even though he was a rising star in the Trump administration.

• He seemingly had an icy relationship with Hegseth and felt it was time to leave amid concerns about the state of the Army, Axios' Barak Ravid and Colin Demarest report.
• Driscoll's decision to leave resembles the exit of Navy Secretary John Phelan, a fellow Pentagon official Hegseth fired in April 2026.

Between the lines: Neither Driscoll nor Phelan was a uniformed military officer, but their departures join a growing list of Pentagon personnel who have left or been ousted under Trump and Hegseth.

Read more below.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George

George retired in April, just a few weeks after the Iran war began.

• According to multiple reports, Hegseth called for George to step down.
• His departure came more than a year before his term was up.

Army Gen. Christopher Donahue

Donahue announced his exit in July after 18 months as commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and Africa.

• According to The Washington Post, Hegseth pushed back against efforts to extend Donahue's career, which led to the general's exit.
• Donahue's storied career included him being the last soldier to leave Afghanistan.

Army vice chief of staff Gen. James Mingus

Mingus served as vice chief of staff of the Army for less than two years, despite the typical three-year term.

• Trump nominated Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve, previously senior military assistant to Hegseth, to take over the role before Mingus publicly announced plans to step aside.
• According to The Washington Post, Mingus was forced into early retirement.

Former Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown Jr.

Brown Jr. was the highest-ranking U.S. military officer when Trump fired him in February 2025, roughly 16 months into his four-year term.

• Hegseth had previously suggested firing him for promoting DEI policies.

Adm. Lisa Franchetti

Franchetti made history as the first woman to serve as chief of naval operations and to become a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

• Hegseth fired her in February 2025 in a leadership purge that took down other top officials.

• CNN reports Hegseth once described Franchetti as a "DEI hire."

Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife

Hegseth removed Slife during the February 2025 leadership purge that also took out Franchetti and Brown.

• The move came amid widespread military changes at the time. Former President Biden had nominated Brown, Franchetti and Slife to their positions.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin

Allvin, who served as Air Force chief of staff, announced his retirement halfway through his four-year term in August 2025.

• The Washington Post reported at the time that the Pentagon planned to ask Allvin to retire.

Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey

The head of U.S. Southern Command announced his retirement in October 2025, about a year into a typical three-year tenure.

• His exit came as SOUTHCOM oversaw Trump's military campaign against alleged drug boats off the coast of Venezuela.

NSA director, CYBERCOM commander Gen. Timothy Haugh

Haugh was fired without an official explanation in April 2025.

• This happened shortly after far-right activist Laura Loomer pressured Trump to fire him, according to multiple reports.
• Top Democrats criticized his ousting, saying Haugh, who had more than 30 years of military experience, was a key official in keeping Americans safe.

DIA director Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse

Kruse was fired in August 2025 after the DIA reportedly produced an assessment of the Iran strikes from earlier that summer that angered Trump.

• The Pentagon never officially released a reason for Kruse's exit.