Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell has emerged as the leading candidate to become the next US Army secretary, with at least four people reportedly being considered for the position following Dan Driscoll’s departure from the Trump administration.
Sources familiar with the selection process told The Hill that Parnell, who also serves as Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s senior adviser, is among the names under consideration alongside Marc Anderson, Derrick Anderson and Rep. Brian Mast.
Multiple Pentagon sources said Hegseth favours Parnell for the position.
“Every senior leader in [the] Pentagon knows that Secretary Hegseth’s preferred pick is Sean Parnell,” a senior Pentagon official said. “Sean’s well-respected across the Department, and viewed as a solid choice.”
Parnell is also said to have backing from several senior White House officials and outside advisers to President Donald Trump, according to four people familiar with the discussions.
One Pentagon official said Parnell had been in contact with the White House about the position in recent days. However, a senior administration official disputed that account, saying Parnell is “100 percent focused on executing the job he has now.”
The Army is currently without a Senate-confirmed civilian leader following Driscoll’s exit this week. The service also lacks a Senate-confirmed uniformed leader after Hegseth removed Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George in April.
Driscoll spent about 18 months as Army secretary, during which he pushed for rapid modernisation of the military service while reportedly having repeated disagreements with Hegseth.
President Trump announced on Thursday that Adam Telle, the assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works, would temporarily take over as acting secretary. His appointment reportedly surprised some current and former defence officials.
Telle, who is from Alabama, has worked for several Republican offices on Capitol Hill and previously served as chief of staff to Sen. Bill Hagerty.
In his first statement after taking over, Telle said he would bring the administration’s approach to efficiency to the Army.
“My previous work in the Army focused on moving at Trump Speed to deliver on one of the Army’s original missions. I will apply that same relentless focus on efficiency to how the Army mans, trains, equips, and modernizes,” Telle said on Friday.
It remains unclear when Trump will nominate a permanent successor to Driscoll or whether Telle could eventually be selected for the permanent position.
Parnell’s military background could strengthen his case. He served in Afghanistan and received two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart. He later ran unsuccessfully for Congress twice and sought a Senate seat in Pennsylvania with Trump’s endorsement before withdrawing from the race in 2021.
His political career was affected by a custody dispute involving his children, during which allegations of abuse were made by his estranged wife. Parnell denied the allegations and later said he had been “vindicated”. Pentagon officials said he now shares custody of all five of his children.
A senior government official familiar with the discussions said “eagerness” exists among “most” of the Army’s three- and four-star generals to work with Parnell because of his institutional and combat experience.
However, his potential nomination has already attracted opposition from some Democrats, raising questions about whether he could secure Senate confirmation.
Rep. Pat Ryan, a New York Democrat and West Point graduate who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, criticised Parnell on Thursday.
“Sean Parnell is Liar-in-Chief for this disastrous war in Iran. Now, Pete Hegseth wants to reward him by making him SecArmy,” Ryan said. “He’s dangerously unfit for the job and we must stop him.”
Mast, a Florida Republican and Army veteran, is another contender. He served in the Army for 12 years and received several military honours. Two sources familiar with the discussions said he has been considered for the role.
However, appointing Mast would further reduce the Republicans’ already narrow majority in the House. He recently met with Hegseth, according to an administration official.
Some administration figures are also concerned that Mast’s strong support for Israel could alienate parts of Trump’s MAGA base.
“Mast has already pitched himself to everyone in DC who will listen, including Secretary Hegseth; he’s a try-hard and largely viewed as out of touch with Trump supporters,” the official said.
Derrick Anderson, a former Republican congressional candidate from Virginia who currently serves as Assistant Secretary of Defence for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict, is also being considered, according to two people familiar with the discussions.
Marc Anderson, the Army’s assistant secretary for Financial Management and Comptroller, has likewise been mentioned as a possible replacement for Driscoll. He has held several executive positions in venture capital but is less prominent outside Army circles.
Another potential candidate is Sam Brown, the Department of Veterans Affairs’ undersecretary for memorial affairs. NBC News reported that some members of Congress and administration officials have floated his name.
Brown, a West Point graduate, served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom in Kandahar before medically retiring from the Army as a captain. He also unsuccessfully sought a Senate seat in Nevada twice.
