Why Was Secretary of the Navy John Phelan Fired?
Why Was Secretary of the Navy John Phelan Fired?
Phelan was a close ally of President Donald Trump—but clashed repeatedly with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth over shipbuilding problems during his tenure.
On Wednesday, the United States Navy confirmed that its top civilian official was leaving his post, “effective immediately.” Secretary of the Navy John Phelan became the first head of a military service to step down during President Donald Trump’s second term. Yet he is now just the latest in a string of high-level defense officials to depart or face being ousted.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth informed Phelan on Wednesday afternoon that he would need to tender his resignation or he would be fired, CNN reported, citing “two sources familiar with the matter.”
A former private investment executive, philanthropist, and art collector, Phelan became the 79th United States Secretary of the Navy in March 2025. Phelan had no prior military service before being appointed to head up the Department of the Navy; he previously chaired the board of the Third Option Foundation and served on the board of Spirit of America.
“Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately. On behalf of the Secretary of [Defense] and Deputy Secretary of [Defense], we are grateful to Secretary Phelan for his service to the Department and the United States Navy,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “We wish him well in his future endeavors. Undersecretary Hung Cao will become Acting Secretary of the Navy.”
As of Wednesday evening, the White House had yet to release a statement on Phelan’s departure.
Phelan Was an Outsider, but a Prominent Republican Donor
Even as the White House has so far been silent on Phelan’s departure, it should be noted that Trump was far more supportive when he named Phelan to the post in late 2024 after the election. Phelan had been a major donor to Trump’s presidential campaign.
“John will be a tremendous force for our Naval servicemembers, and a steadfast leader in advancing my America First vision,” Trump wrote of Phelan on November 26, 2024, when nominating him to the position. “He will put the business of the US Navy above all else.”
Supporters of Phelan’s nomination argued he would be an outsider who would shake up the US Navy and get it back on track, as it has faced numerous program delays and cost overruns.
Phelan’s Departure Comes After Months of Tension
Phelan’s abrupt departure followed months of public and private tension with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who reportedly voiced frustrations that Phelan was acting too slowly to implement reforms to the US shipbuilding sector.
In addition, Hegseth was “irked by Phelan’s direct communication with [President Donald] Trump, which Hegseth viewed as an attempt to bypass him,” CNN wrote.
It is unlikely that Phelan’s departure is directly tied to the ongoing war in the Middle East. The Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), the US Navy’s top admiral, do not oversee combat operations. That falls to regional commanders, who report directly to Hegseth—a setup that theoretically preserves civilian authority over warmaking decisions.
Admiral Daryl Claude is currently serving as the 34th CNO, having taken the office in August 2025. Claude and Phelan had been tasked with equipping the US Navy and ensuring its uniformed personnel were trained.
Phelan Latest Departure in Larger Pentagon Shakeup
Phelan’s immediate departure comes just weeks after Hegseth fired the Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, the United States Army’s top uniformed officer and a West Point graduate with more than three decades of service.
Hegseth also fired Gen. David Horne, a former United States Army Ranger, who had been overseeing the service’s Transformation and Training Command, and Major Gen. William Green, the chief of chaplains.
As previously reported, others fired during President Trump’s second term include US Air Force Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, who headed the DoD’s Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). Kruse was fired after releasing an assessment that the June Operation Midnight Hammer airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear program were less expansive or effective than Trump had claimed.
Last October, Gen. James J. Mingus, the Army’s vice chief of staff, was forced to step down from his position a year earlier than expected.
Hegseth has also fired US Navy Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, the Pentagon’s representative to NATO’s military committee, Joint Chiefs Chairman CQ Brown Jr., Air Force Gen. Timothy Haugh, who had headed the National Security Agency (NSA) and US Cyber Command (CYBERCOM), and Adm. Lisa Franchetti, US Navy’s top officer. Adm. Linda Fagan, the head of the United States Coast Guard, was removed from her post as well.
This is a developing story.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
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