A top Army official is struggling to earn the respect of the troops, as leaked messages reveal the vulgar nickname others have given him.
Adam Telle, whom Donald Trump picked as acting Army secretary after the shock departure of Dan Driscoll last month, is being called numerous degrading names as he seeks to secure the role permanently, despite having the support of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“He’s never served a fing day in uniform,” one Army official told the Daily Mail. “So, you know, affectionately or unaffectionately, he’s called ‘Big P---y ’ by some of the Army staff, which is kind of hilarious.”
A leaked group chat used by some Army officers also reveals that the chat is named “BigP[cat emoji] updates” in reference to Telle, the former chief of staff to Tennessee Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty, who previously served as assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works.
Telle was given the role of acting Army secretary after Driscoll stepped down following a long-running dispute with Hegseth over how to run the U.S. military and Hegseth’s constant firings of top officials.
Hegseth has made no secret of his desire for his top Pentagon spokesman, Sean Parnell, to replace Driscoll as the Army’s top civilian official on a permanent basis.
Telle’s appointment also raised some eyebrows after he was named acting Army secretary in September ahead of Michael Obadal, the current Army undersecretary and the second-most senior civilian Army official.
Sources told the Daily Mail that Telle has already rubbed people the wrong way by opposing Hegseth’s barbaric proposal to livestream the execution of Fort Hood mass shooter Nidal Hasan. Others said Telle’s nickname also emerged after he was ridiculed over a photo of himself wearing a blue shirt and tight khakis, with one foot pointed upward.
“The photo and the pushback on the firing squad earned him the nickname that’s going around: Big P---y,” a Pentagon source said.
Others within the Pentagon gleefully lined up to attack Telle as chaos and disorder continued to surround Hegseth’s tenure leading the military.
“He’s a swamp creature,” one official said.
“A hill rat,” added another.
Telle, who denies that there is any bad blood between himself, Hegseth or Parnell, rejected the Daily Mail’s reporting.
“Fake news from anonymous sources, every word of which is totally fabricated, will not prevent Secretary Hegseth, Sean, and me from remaining coordinated, fully aligned, and united under the leadership of President Trump,” Telle said. “Sean is a great leader, who I respect and genuinely enjoy working with.”
Trump has not named his choice for the next permanent Army secretary, and there cannot be a Senate confirmation hearing until the president makes a nomination.
“It would be inappropriate for anyone to be talking to lawmakers before getting the nomination,” a senior Pentagon official told the Daily Mail. “Being presumptuous like that would likely p--- off the White House.”
However, the official added that Telle was “told from the beginning” that he was only filling the role temporarily. “Telle is just keeping the seat warm.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the Army for comment. The Pentagon declined to comment on the report.
