President Donald Trump announced on Thursday evening that Adam Telle, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, will serve as Acting Secretary of the Army, effective immediately.
Telle replaces Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll who stepped down on Monday amidst reports of deepening tensions with Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth.
In a novel move, Trump chose to circumvent the normal line of succession by passing over Michael Obidal, the Army's Undersecretary and typical acting Secretary in these kinds of scenarios, and going with Telle instead.
"He is a Great Patriot, who is respected by all," the President wrote of the pick on Truth Social.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker was pleased with the selection. "The president made an excellent choice in appointing Adam Telle to serve as Acting Secretary of the Army," said Wicker in a statement.
Telle, a longtime Trump loyalist with deep connections on Capitol Hill, served previously as chief of staff to Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) and as the President's chief liaison to the Senate during his first term. On August 5, 2025, he was sworn in as the 14th Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works after receiving Senate confirmation.
The move comes at a precarious time for the Army, which is currently operating without a confirmed civilian or uniformed leader at the top. General Randy George was removed by Hegseth in April and is being replaced by Vice Chief of Staff General Christopher LaNeve who is awaiting his own contentious nomination to be confirmed by the Senate to take the top spot.
