Frustrations over Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s approach reportedly came to a head last summer during a heated exchange between his chief of staff, Ricky Buria, and Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll over a separate promotion.
According to The New York Times, Buria criticized Driscoll’s decision to select Maj. Gen. Antoinette R. Gant—a combat engineer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan—to command the Military District of Washington. Officials familiar with the exchange said Buria argued that President Donald J. Trump would not want to appear alongside a Black female officer at military events.
Driscoll was reportedly shocked by the remark and pushed back, stating that the president is neither racist nor sexist. He later raised the issue with a senior White House official, who agreed with his assessment. Hegseth’s office subsequently backed away from the matter, and Gen. Gant assumed the role last summer before being promoted to a two-star general in early March.
The Pentagon has not addressed Hegseth’s decision to remove four officers from the promotion list, nor has it responded to questions regarding Buria’s exchange with Driscoll.
