An unexpected figure within the Trump administration has come into the international spotlight after taking part in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
This is Dan Driscoll, the newly appointed U.S. Secretary of the Army, known as President Donald Trump’s “drone guy” because of his focus on advanced battlefield technologies.
Driscoll, 39, does not have a long background in international relations and has never held public office, but his close relationship with Vice President JD Vance has pulled him into Trump’s inner circle. The two met while studying at public universities before both completing law degrees at Yale, later working in the financial sector.
During his military career, Driscoll became an officer in 2007, led a cavalry platoon, and was deployed to Iraq in 2009. He has said that he met Vance through a student veterans’ group, where Vance became his mentor and friend. In the summer of 2024, during a family vacation in Switzerland, Driscoll received a call from Vance informing him that he would be Trump’s vice-presidential pick and inviting him to join the team.
After Trump returned to office, Driscoll was quickly confirmed as Secretary of the Army and became a key figure in deploying the National Guard to American cities. He later took on the role of acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
A Surprise Visit to Ukraine
Driscoll has frequently commented on the war in Ukraine, emphasizing the importance of Ukrainian drones as a “mass, relatively inexpensive war technology.” However, he was initially not part of the peace negotiations, which were led by special envoy Steve Witkoff.
After the release of a 28-point peace plan drafted by the U.S. and Russia, Ukraine expressed concerns over several key points, and European allies echoed these worries. Driscoll then made an unannounced visit to Kyiv alongside senior Pentagon officials to discuss the end of the war with Ukrainian leadership. He was received by President Zelensky and attended a reception at the residence of the U.S. ambassador.
In the following days, Driscoll held talks in Geneva with Ukrainian officials, together with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, helping craft an “updated and refined framework for peace.” He then traveled to Abu Dhabi for further discussions with Russian officials.
A Figure to Watch
Trump has described Driscoll as a “change agent and disruptor,” and several officials in Washington speculate that he could eventually replace Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if the latter steps down. Driscoll previously worked on Capitol Hill as an intern for the Veterans’ Affairs Committee and ran unsuccessfully for Congress in North Carolina in 2020.
He may take over as the official U.S. negotiator for Ukraine after envoy Keith Kellogg steps down in January, or he could remain at the helm of the U.S. Army, commanding hundreds of thousands of troops. Driscoll has repeatedly highlighted his vision for transforming the Army, including large-scale use of drones and artificial intelligence in warfare.
“Our window for change is now,” Driscoll said in an October speech. “We will win with silicon and software, not with the blood and bodies of our soldiers.”
