The rise of Dan Driscoll, Army secretary turned envoy

U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll's impromptu role in negotiating peace between Russia and Ukraine thrusts into the mainstream what defense circles have been whispering about: He's a Trump 2.0 power player.

Why it matters: It was Driscoll who formally presented the 28-point peace plan to Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky. He then held a flurry of meetings in Kyiv, joined the U.S. delegation in Geneva and jetted to Abu Dhabi to meet the Russians. • President Trump on Tuesday said he was dispatching Steve Witkoff to Moscow and directing Driscoll to steer the next stage of talks with Kyiv. • These are — in sum — not the typical responsibilities of an Army secretary, aka the service's No. 1 civilian.

The big picture: Driscoll's star is rising. It's boosted by: • Trust inside the White House;