Republicans in Congress back Army secretary amid clash with Hegseth

House Republicans on Thursday threw their support behind Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and lamented the recent ouster of the service’s top general, making a rare public break with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after his repeated clashes with senior Army leaders.

House Democrats offered some similar sentiments, but the plaudits from conservative lawmakers at a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee’s panel on defense appeared intended to buttress Driscoll’s standing in the Republican Party.

The rivalry between Hegseth and Driscoll dates to at least last spring, when a series of missteps by Hegseth fueled speculation within the Pentagon that President Donald Trump might replace him with Driscoll. Hegseth has since been cool in his public support for Driscoll, and others aligned with the defense secretary have questioned whether Driscoll is fully supportive of Trump’s agenda.