US President on Thursday (local time) announced the appointment of Adam R Telle as the acting Army Secretary, days after resigned amid reports of widespread tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Confirming Telle’s appointment, Trump, in a Truth Social post, wrote, “I am pleased to announce that Adam Telle, the current Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, will become Acting Secretary of the Army, effective immediately. He is a Great Patriot who is respected by all.”
Hegseth echoed Trump’s sentiment in his post on X and wrote, “Huge congrats to Adam. Strong and whip-smart. He is indeed a great Patriot — and will be an immediate asset to the US Army.”
Who is Adam Telle?
Telle is a civilian leader with the US Army Corps of Engineers. He has more than two decades of experience working for Republican senators and served in the White House during Donald Trump’s first term, where he was the president’s chief liaison to the Senate, according to an Army biography.
He was sworn in on 5 August 2025 as the 14th Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), following his nomination by the US President and confirmation by the US Senate, and became the second Trump appointee to be confirmed.
A native of rural Northport, Alabama, Telle holds a degree in computer science and communications from Mississippi State University, where he was elected as the student body president.
In his role as the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Telle has principal authority to establish policy direction and provides supervision in all aspects of the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works program for the Department of the Army. His responsibilities include commercial navigation, flood and storm damage reduction, and permitting activities under the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act.
Previously, he served as the Chief of Staff to US Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee and also served as Trump’s chief liaison to the Senate when he led the White House Office of Legislative Affairs’ Senate team. During his tenure as the chief liaison, he played an important role in the White House national security apparatus and helped deliver historic achievements, including the Abraham Accords and the authorisation of the Space Force, the first Armed Service established since the 1940s.
Telle has also worked as the chief staff member of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s subcommittee responsible for overseeing the Department of Homeland Security’s budget. Before this, he worked for a decade in the office of Senator Thad Cochran, where he served as a deputy chief of staff, legislative director and the top national security staffer. He also led Cochran’s work on recovery during Hurricane Katrina, water resources authorisation and appropriations, and flood insurance.
As acting Army Secretary, Telle will oversee the United States’ largest military force at a time when Washington remains engaged in a conflict with Tehran, while significant US Army forces are deployed across the Middle East, AP reported.
Why did Dan Driscoll resign?
Dan Driscoll, the former Army Secretary, is an Army veteran who served in Iraq. A friend of Vice President JD Vance, Driscoll had good ties with both Republicans and Democrats in Congress. Before submitting his resignation, he reportedly spoke with Trump regarding the current state of the Army.
Rumours about Driscoll’s departure had been circulating for months, particularly following Hegseth’s dismissal of Army Chief of Staff Gen Randy George earlier this year. He was confirmed as Army Secretary in February 2025. According to reports, the Army veteran did not suggest that there were any problems in the only public statement on his departure, saying that it has been “the honor of a lifetime” to serve as Army secretary under Trump and Hegseth.
