Brian Mast a contender for Army Secretary after Driscoll exit

With Army Secretary Dan Driscoll stepping down, attention has turned to Rep. Brian Mast as a possible replacement.

Mast spent 11 years in the U.S. Army and lost both legs and a finger to an IED. Sources say he was already under consideration early in the Trump administration, but Republicans needed him on Capitol Hill to advance the America First agenda, and he took the chairmanship of the House Foreign Affairs Committee instead.

He also served alongside the Israel Defense Forces through the Volunteer for Israel organization. That connection drew attention when he wore an IDF uniform on Capitol Hill in response to Rep. Rashida Tlaib following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. "Tlaib's got her flag. I got my uniform," he wrote. Critics on both the progressive left and parts of the America First movement objected, with some calling him disloyal for wearing the uniform.

Trump, who chose Mast to lead his Veterans for Trump organization, will make the final call.

If Mast takes the post, Florida State Rep. Meg Weinberger has been floated as a possible successor. Businessman and Marine veteran Casey Askar is the Republican nominee in Florida's newly drawn 22nd District, backed by both Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis.