Trump names engineering official Adam Telle as acting Army secretary, after Dan Driscoll resigns amid friction

September 3, 2026 / 10:36 PM EDT / CBS/AP

President Trump on Thursday named Adam Telle, a civilian leader in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as the acting Army secretary, following the resignation of Dan Driscoll earlier this week.

Telle is currently the assistant secretary of the Army for civil works. But he spent more than 20 years working for Republican senators, and worked in the White House during Mr. Trump's first term, serving as the president's chief liaison to the Senate, according to an Army biography.

"He is a Great Patriot, who is respected by all," Mr. Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

Hegseth echoed that in his own post on X.

"Huge congrats to Adam. Strong and whip smart," Hegseth wrote. "He is indeed a great Patriot — and will be an immediate asset to the @USArmy."

Driscoll resigned as the Army's top civilian leader this week, following months of behind-the-scenes friction with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. It marked the latest departure of a high-level military official under Hegseth.

An Army veteran and ally of Vice President JD Vance, Driscoll had drawn up plans to transform the Army's operations. But he shared concerns with the Trump…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/