Seal of the Pentagon on display at the Pentagon visitor center. (Trevor Raney/
Digital Media Division)


WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump announced two notable nominations for the defense world today: Daniel Driscoll, an adviser to Vice President-elect JD Vance, to lead the US Army in its top civilian spot and Peter Navarro to serve as the senior counselor for trade and manufacturing. 

“As a former soldier, investor, and political advisor, Dan brings a powerful combination of experiences to serve as a disruptor and change agent,” Trump announced on Truth Social.

According to the statement, Driscoll is a graduate of Yale Law School and former Army soldier. Trump praised Driscoll’s work in the private equity arena and said he will be a “fearless and relentless fighter for America’s soldiers and the America First agenda.”

The Pentagon’s video repository features an interview with a young officer, Daniel Driscoll, whose deployment to Iraq matches that noted in Trump’s description.

If confirmed by the Senate to be the 26th Army secretary, Driscoll will take over a service in the throes of modernizing its weapon portfolio, ramping up the defense industrial base and grappling with recruiting.

In Navarro, Trump is bringing in a loyalist who served roughly four months in jail for refusing to comply with a Congressional subpoena investigating the events of Jan. 6, 2021 — something Trump, in his announcement today, described as Navarro being “treated horribly by the Deep State, or whatever else you would like to call it.”

In his new role, Navarro, 75, will be asked to “help successfully advance and communicate the Trump Manufacturing, Tariff, and Trade Agendas,” per the announcement.

During the first Trump administration, Navarro was a key voice pushing the theme of “economic security is national security,” which manifested in advocating for greater defense exports. He also helped shepherd through a review of the defense industrial base to identify weak points in the supply chain.

The announcements come amidst reporting that the nomination of Pete Hegseth to be Defense Secretary has hit some rocks, with Florida governor Ron DeSantis reportedly emerging as a backup should Hegseth fail to find support in the senate.