Hegseth ally emerges as potential US army secretary despite controversial past

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is reportedly considering his chief spokesperson, Sean Parnell, as a potential successor to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who is weighing an exit from the Pentagon in the coming months following internal disputes. Parnell’s possible nomination has already sparked debate, with renewed scrutiny of previous allegations of domestic abuse that emerged during a bitter custody dispute involving his family.

Parnell, who serves as the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson and Hegseth’s senior adviser, has reportedly been promoting his own candidacy for the position for some time, as reported by The Hill.

 A current Pentagon official and a former official familiar with internal deliberations told the publication that the two-time unsuccessful congressional candidate is among Hegseth’s shortlisted candidates to replace Driscoll.

“Mr. Parnell has a deep bench of supporters throughout the Administration and has worked tirelessly to enable cultural change and accountability in the Pentagon,” the Pentagon official said in a statement to The Hill.

The outlet further cites the source, that “leveraging his extensive combat and executive experience, he will bring the accountability, change, and engaged transformational leadership the Army so desperately needs at this time.”

Parnell’s potential nomination comes after months of tensions between Hegseth and Driscoll over the defense secretary’s efforts to remove senior military officials and reshape the Department of Defense according to his vision, The Hill reported last week.

Driscoll is reportedly open to resigning “around” Labor Day, which falls on September 7 this year, although the White House wants him to remain in the position at least through the November midterm elections, according to a source familiar with the discussions.

Parnell, who also chairs the Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel, has served as the Pentagon’s top spokesperson since February 2025. Before joining the Pentagon, Parnell, who received two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart for his service during the war in Afghanistan, ran for Congress twice unsuccessfully.

Parnell was endorsed by President Donald Trump during his Senate campaign in Pennsylvania but withdrew from the race in November 2021 after losing a court battle over custody of his three children. During the proceedings, Parnell’s wife testified that he had choked and strangled her and verbally and physically abused their children. A judge found “credible evidence” supporting the abuse allegations, although Parnell denied them.

As some media outlets suggest, Driscoll is a close ally and friend of Vice President JD Vance and until recently had reportedly been among the leading candidates to replace Hegseth if the defense secretary were to fall out of favour with President Trump. Parnell, meanwhile, would likely further consolidate Hegseth’s influence over the armed forces if he were appointed Army secretary.

By Nazrin Sadigova