Hegseth is winning the battle over the Pentagon’s future

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/01/hegseth-driscoll-tech-culture-wars-01060795

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll wanted to transform the service into a modern, tech-oriented force. Pete Hegseth made that almost impossible.

The Army secretary, in his final months in the job, found his efforts to champion a leaner force with a lighter footprint challenged by Hegseth and the new acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve, who focused on gearing the Army toward grooming and fitness standards, according to the people. And that, coupled with the resignation of well-regarded top generals, led Driscoll to head to the White House and deliver his resignation to President Donald Trump.

The White House defended Hegseth’s leadership of the Pentagon, saying he’s aligned with the president’s anti-diversity, equity and initiatives stance. “After Joe Biden’s Pentagon prioritized DEI and woke ideology, President Trump and Secretary Hegseth quickly reversed course,” said spokesperson Anna Kelly. “The President has complete trust in Secretary Hegseth.”