Washington: The Pentagon has abruptly announced the departure of Navy Secretary John Phelan, the first military service head to leave during Donald Trump’s second term, amid a fragile ceasefire and naval blockade in the war with Iran.
No reason was provided for Phelan’s immediate exit, announced Wednesday by spokesman Sean Parnell on X. Phelan, a major Trump donor and founder of investment firm Rugger Management LLC, lacked prior military or Navy leadership experience. Nominated in late 2024, he served as an outsider tasked with shaking up the service. His only noted military exposure was an advisory role at nonprofit Spirit of America, supporting Ukraine and Taiwan defences.
Phelan spoke at the Navy’s annual conference in Washington on Tuesday, addressing sailors, industry leaders, and House Armed Services Committee heads on budget and shipbuilding plans. The Navy currently operates three aircraft carriers in or en route to the Middle East, ready to resume operations if the ceasefire ends. It also maintains a strong Caribbean presence for anti-drug strikes and aided in Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s January capture.
Undersecretary Hung Cao, a 25-year Navy combat veteran and Trump loyalist, assumes acting duties. A retired captain who served with SEAL teams and special forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia, Cao graduated from the US Naval Academy, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, and holds a physics master’s with MIT and Harvard fellowships.
Cao ran unsuccessful Virginia campaigns for Senate (2024, challenging Tim Kaine) and House (2022), earning Trump’s endorsement and speaking at the Republican National Convention. He has criticised military DEI initiatives, COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and Ukraine aid, advocating reinstatement of vaccine-refusing service members. In a 2024 debate, he remarked: “When you’re using a drag queen to recruit for the Navy, that’s not the people we want. What we need is alpha males and alpha females who are going to rip out their own guts, eat them and ask for seconds. Those are the young men and women that are going to win wars.”
Phelan’s exit follows a series of Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth-led firings, including Army Chief Gen. Randy George, Navy Chief Adm. Lisa Franchetti, Air Force No. 2 Gen. Jim Slife, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown Jr. The purge began in February 2025, targeting leaders amid Trump and Hegseth’s opposition to DEI programmes.
Neither Phelan’s office nor the White House commented beyond Parnell’s statement.
(Inputs from AP)