Washington DC - Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has reportedly been in a bitter feud with Army Secretary Dan Driscoll since the early days of the Trump administration, a new report reveals.

People familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal that Hegseth has been feuding with Driscoll, a potential rival for the secretary's position, since an ill-fated meeting in early 2025.

According to sources, Hegseth raised his voice during the meeting, telling Driscoll that he was in charge and that the army secretary should stay in his lane. The meeting then ended abruptly.

The rivalry continued behind the scenes throughout the following year, only to come out into the open last week when Driscoll expressed his fondness for the Army's former top general, Randy George.

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"I, too, love Gen. George," Driscoll told lawmakers on Thursday, before labeling him an "amazing, transformational leader."

Hegseth fired George in early April. While he cited no reason for the decision, it is generally believed that the decorated Army chief of staff had expressed misgivings about the war with Iran and had pushed back against Hegseth.

In a letter, George seemed to take a veiled jab at Hegseth, writing that "Our Soldiers are truly the best in the world – they deserve tough training and courageous leaders of character."

Responding to the WSJ's claim of a rift between Hegseth and Driscoll, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said that "President Trump has effectively restored a focus on readiness and lethality across our military with the help of leaders like Secretary Hegseth and Secretary Driscoll."

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said that Hegseth "maintains excellent working relationships with the secretaries of every military service branch, including Army Secretary Dan Driscoll."