WASHINGTON — Navy Secretary John Phelan has been fired, a US official and a person familiar with the matter confirmed Wednesday, marking the latest high-profile departure in a series of leadership upheavals at the Pentagon under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The Pentagon announced Phelan’s departure in a brief statement, stating he was leaving the administration “effective immediately” but offering no explanation for the move.
Reasons Behind the Firing
Sources speaking on condition of anonymity told Reuters that Phelan was dismissed in part due to sluggish progress in implementing reforms aimed at accelerating shipbuilding. Additionally, he had reportedly fallen out with key Pentagon leadership.
One source cited strained relationships with Hegseth, Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, and Hung Cao, the Navy’s second-ranking civilian official. The Pentagon announced Cao will take over as acting Navy secretary. The source also mentioned an ethics investigation into Phelan’s office.
Broader Military Leadership Overhaul
Phelan, a billionaire with close ties to President Donald Trump, is the first administration-picked service secretary to be fired since Trump returned to office last year. His dismissal fits within a broader pattern of upheaval under Hegseth’s leadership, including the firing of Air Force General CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the chief of naval operations and the Air Force vice chief of staff.
On April 2, Hegseth fired Army Chief of Staff Randy George without citing a reason. Two US officials said the decision was tied to tensions between Hegseth and Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll.
Political Reaction
Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called Phelan’s dismissal “troubling.”
“I am concerned it is yet another example of the instability and dysfunction that have come to define the Department of Defence under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth,” Reed said.
Context of Iran Conflict and Naval Pressure
The latest departure comes during a tense ceasefire with Iran, as the US deploys additional naval assets to the Middle East. The US military is relying on its Navy to enforce a blockade of Iran, a strategy President Trump hopes will pressure Tehran negotiate an end to the conflict on his terms.
The Navy is under intense pressure to expand its fleet, particularly as China’s shipbuilding industry now dwarfs that of the United States. Trump’s $1.5 trillion defense budget request for fiscal year 2027 includes over $65 billion to procure 18 warships and 16 support ships from General Dynamics and Huntington Ingalls Industries. This is part of the Pentagon’s “Golden Fleet” initiative, described as the largest shipbuilding request since 1962.
