Hegseth Directs Army Secretary To Fire Public Affairs Chief
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has directed Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to remove Col. Dave Butler from his position as chief of Army public affairs and senior adviser to the Army secretary, according to a report by Fox News.
Driscoll is currently in Geneva as part of a U.S. negotiating team working on efforts related to the war in Ukraine, Fox News reported.
Butler previously served as head of public affairs for the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the tenure of Army Gen. Mark Milley as chairman. He had been slated for promotion to brigadier general and appeared for two consecutive years on an Army list of 34 officers selected for advancement.
The promotion list has reportedly been delayed for nearly four months after Hegseth raised concerns about several officers included by the Army selection board. Under federal law, the defense secretary cannot unilaterally remove individual names from a promotion list once it has been submitted.
According to an Army official cited in the report, Butler offered to voluntarily withdraw his name from consideration in an effort to allow the broader list of promotions to move forward.
Driscoll, an Army veteran and a close ally of Vice President JD Vance—who attended Yale Law School with Vance—had resisted Hegseth’s ongoing pressure to fire Butler for months due to Butler’s significant contributions to the transformation of the Army.
“We greatly appreciate COL Dave Butler’s lifetime of service in America’s Army and to our nation,” Driscoll said in a statement. “Dave has been an integral part of the Army’s transformation efforts and I sincerely wish him tremendous success in his upcoming retirement after 28 years of service.”
Butler accompanied Driscoll to Ukraine to help start peace negotiations in November 2025, Fox stated, adding that Hegseth’s firing demand came late last week.
In 2025, Hegseth took charge at the Pentagon and quickly began to dismiss high-ranking officers or push them into early retirement, often without providing reasons or justifications. Among those affected were Adm. Lisa Franchetti, then chief of naval operations; Gen. CQ Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Gen. James Mingus, who held the position of vice chief of the Army; Gen. Douglas A. Sims, director of the Joint Staff; Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin; Gen. James Slife, vice chief of the Air Force; and Gen. Timothy Haugh, director of the National Security Agency, among others.
Butler, recognized as one of the Army’s top communicators, played a vital role alongside elite special operations units during numerous missions overseas while attached to the Army’s Delta Force from 2010 to 2014.
From 2015 to 2018, he served as the public affairs officer for Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. During this time, he worked closely with Gen. Scott Miller when Miller was in command of JSOC from 2016 to 2018.
Following Miller’s request, Butler then deployed to Afghanistan when Miller took command there from 2018 to 2019.
Throughout this period, he acted as the chief spokesman and director of communications for all U.S. and NATO forces while Miller held the position of top four-star general in Afghanistan, Fox reported.
A former four-star officer who once commanded U.S. Special Operations said Butler was “the consummate professional, the most competent Public Affairs officer I have ever worked with and a gifted practitioner of strategic communications.”
In 2025, as part of the Army’s 250th birthday celebrations, President Donald Trump acknowledged Butler specifically for his efforts in assisting the Army chief with organizing the parade in Washington, D.C.
In December, a federal appeals court sided with Hegseth and the Trump administration over its reimposed policy barring transgender Americans from serving in the U.S. military. At the same time, the appeals panel chided the lower federal district court judge appointed by Joe Biden over her ruling against the Pentagon.
1 OMG: A Quiet Pause by Trump in Washington That Spoke Loudly
THE 7-SECOND SILENCE THAT BROKE THE INTERNET: TRUMP’S UNTHINKABLE MOVE IN WASHINGTON LEAVES EVERYONE SPEECHLESS
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a city that never stops talking, the most deafening sound just echoed across the nation: absolute, pin-drop silence. President Donald Trump, a man famous for his explosive rhetoric and unpredictable speeches, just pulled off what analysts are calling the ultimate "media hijacking." During a highly anticipated public appearance in the heart of the capital, Trump suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, plunging the entire venue into a chilling, suspense-filled void.
It was a quiet pause that spoke volumes—a masterclass in nonverbal dominance that has left the political establishment scrambling and the internet absolutely losing its mind. What was supposed to be a routine address has instantly morphed into the biggest unsolved mystery of the year.
The Moment Time Stood Still in the Capital
The stage was set, the microphones were hot, and the crowd was buzzing with the electric energy that always accompanies a Trump appearance. Everyone—from his most die-hard supporters to his fiercest critics—was braced for a verbal hurricane.
But then, the unthinkable happened. Trump stepped up to the podium, looked out over the sea of flashing cameras, and simply... stopped. He didn't clear his throat. He didn't shuffle his notes. He just stood there, completely motionless, his expression unreadable, letting a heavy, agonizing silence wash over the room. For what felt like an eternity, the fast-paced world of American politics was entirely frozen. You could almost feel the collective heart rate of Washington spike as everyone desperately waited for the punchline that didn't immediately come.
Media Meltdown: A Psychological Masterstroke?
The fallout was instantaneous. Within minutes, social media platforms were on fire, and major news networks were forced to pivot their entire broadcast schedules just to analyze a few seconds of nothingness.
The "Secret Signal" Theory: Communication experts and body language profilers immediately flooded the airwaves, suggesting this was a highly calculated move. Was he signaling a monumental shift in his political strategy? Was this a silent warning to his political rivals that the rules of the game have fundamentally changed?
The Emotional Anchor: Supporters praised the pause as a rare, raw glimpse into the heavy burden of leadership. To them, it was a profound moment of mourning for a divided nation—a silent prayer before heading back into the political battlefield.
The Ultimate Power Play: Critics and strategists alike were forced to admit one undeniable fact: it was a display of absolute control. By refusing to speak, Trump commanded 100% of the world's attention. He proved he doesn't need to shout to dominate the news cycle; he just needs to make everyone hold their breath.
The Phantom Grip on Washington
This jaw-dropping moment serves as a terrifying reality check for the current political landscape. Even without holding official office, Donald Trump remains the undisputed gravitational center of American media. His mere presence in D.C. was enough to shake the ground, but his silence proved to be the ultimate flex of power.
In an era where politicians are constantly screaming over one another just to get a five-second soundbite, Trump effortlessly flipped the script. He weaponized silence, turning a simple pause into a rhetorical nuclear bomb that completely wiped out every other news story of the day.
The Calm Before the Ultimate Storm
As the dust refuses to settle, the debate surrounding the "Washington Pause" is only growing more intense. The anticipation is now reaching a boiling point. If a few seconds of silence can cause a national meltdown, what is going to happen when he finally decides to unleash what he's holding back?
One thing is absolutely certain: The entire globe is watching, waiting, and wondering. The silence has ended, but the shockwaves are just beginning. What is Donald Trump's next move?
Just 30 Minutes Ago, Barron Trump.. breaks down in tears while making a heartbreaking announcement
Barron Trump FINALLY Admits What We All Suspected…
Born into unimaginable wealth yet shielded from its most corrosive effects, Barron Trump’s upbringing was carefully engineered by Melania Trump to emphasize humility over entitlement. Far from the caricature many expected of a former president’s son, he moved through elite schools—Columbia Grammar, St. Andrew’s Episcopal, and Oxbridge Academy—not as a tabloid spectacle but as a reserved, observant student learning to navigate a world already judging him. His 2024 graduation quietly marked the end of a childhood lived in the crosshairs of politics and media.
Behind the scenes, his strongest anchor has remained his mother. Melania’s insistence on privacy, manners, and multilingual education—French, Slovenian, and English—gave Barron a cultural depth unusual for someone born into such a polarized dynasty. Compassionate and intelligent by those who know him, he now stands at a crossroads: burdened by a last name that divides a nation, yet equipped with the inner calm and values to define himself on his own terms.
Born into unimaginable wealth yet shielded from its most corrosive effects, Barron Trump’s upbringing was carefully engineered by Melania Trump to emphasize humility over entitlement. Far from the caricature many expected of a former president’s son, he moved through elite schools—Columbia Grammar, St. Andrew’s Episcopal, and Oxbridge Academy—not as a tabloid spectacle but as a reserved, observant student learning to navigate a world already judging him. His 2024 graduation quietly marked the end of a childhood lived in the crosshairs of politics and media.
Behind the scenes, his strongest anchor has remained his mother. Melania’s insistence on privacy, manners, and multilingual education—French, Slovenian, and English—gave Barron a cultural depth unusual for someone born into such a polarized dynasty. Compassionate and intelligent by those who know him, he now stands at a crossroads: burdened by a last name that divides a nation, yet equipped with the inner calm and values to define himself on his own terms.
Assailant convicted after Barron Trump calls London police to report crime he saw on video
Barron Trump attends President Trump’s inauguration parade in January 2025.
(Evan Vucci / Associated Press)
LONDON — The crime was in London, the suspect was Russian and the witness who saw the beating on a video call was in the United States and happened to be the youngest son of President Trump.
Barron Trump called police in the British capital and his intervention more than a year ago led Wednesday to the assault conviction of Matvei Rumiantsev, who admitted he was jealous of his girlfriend’s friendship with Trump.
Trump said he placed a late night FaceTime call to the victim, a woman he met on social media, and was startled when it was answered by a bare-chested man.
“This view lasted maybe one second and I was racing with adrenaline,” Trump told police. “The camera was then flipped to the victim getting hit while crying, stating something in Russian.”
The call was hung up after a few seconds and Trump then phoned London police in a recording in which Trump desperately pleaded for help as the dispatcher insisted he answer basic questions about the victim.
“How do you know her?” the operator asked after a back-and-forth dialog.
“I don’t think these details matter, she’s getting beat up,” Trump said.
“Can you stop being rude and actually answer my questions?” the dispatcher said. “If you want to help the person, you’ll answer my questions clearly and precisely, thank you. So how do you know her?”
Police went to the address on Jan. 18 and arrested Rumiantsev, 22, a receptionist who lived in London.
He was acquitted in Snaresbrook Crown Court of rape and choking the woman on the night Trump called police, and an additional rape and assault alleged in November 2024.
Rumiantsev testified that he was jealous of Trump but that he also felt bad for him because he thought that his girlfriend was leading him on.
Defense lawyer Sasha Wass said that Trump didn’t know the woman had a boyfriend and questioned how much he could have seen in five or seven seconds of video.
Wass said that the woman exploited her ties to Trump to make her boyfriend envious in a “relationship full of dramas.”
Trump, 19, the only child of Donald and Melania Trump, didn’t testify in the case.
Justice Bennathan advised jurors before they began deliberating to treat Barron Trump’s accounts — on the recording of his call to police and his follow-up email to investigators — with caution because he hadn’t been subjected to cross-examination.
“If he had done so, no doubt, he could have been asked about things such as whether he ever got a good view of what happened, whether he actually saw [the woman] being assaulted, or jumped to this conclusion on the basis of her screams,” Bennathan said. “He might also have been asked whether his perception was biased because he was close friends with [her].”
Rumiantsev was also convicted of perverting the course of justice, because he sent the woman a letter from jail asking her to retract her allegations. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on March 27.
