Navy Secretary John Phelan will be leaving the administration effective immediately, the chief Pentagon spokesman, Sean Parnell, announced on Wednesday evening. It’s unclear what prompted Phelan’s exit or whether it was his choice.
“Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately,” Parnell said. “On behalf of the Secretary of War and Deputy Secretary of War, we are grateful to Secretary Phelan for his service to the Department and the United States Navy.”
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Undersecretary Hung Cao will serve as acting secretary of the Navy.
His bio page on the Navy’s website said his priorities as secretary focused on “strengthening shipbuilding and the maritime industrial base; fostering an adaptive, accountable and war fighting culture; and improving the health, welfare and training of our people.”
Prior to his appointment as secretary, Phelan founded and was the chairman of Rugger Management, LLC, a private investment firm. Before that, he served as co-founder and co-managing partner of MSD Capital, L.P., a private investment firm for Michael Dell.
He is the first service secretary appointed by President Donald Trump to leave the administration, though Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed several senior military leaders. Hegseth has provided little explanation for his personnel decisions aside from his overarching effort to reshape the military.
Earlier this month, Hegseth asked Army chief of staff Gen. Randy George to retire. He’s the latest in a string of military departures, though there was bipartisan criticism with George’s removal, particularly given it occurred while the military was at war with Iran.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, whose relationship with Hegseth has been strained in recent months, defended George last week during a hearing on Capitol Hill but also praised George’s replacement, Vice Chief of the Army and acting chief of staff of the Army Gen. Christopher LaNeve.
“When we drove back from North Carolina, I drove straight to General George’s house,” Driscoll said. “We walked right in, and we all gave him a hug. There is no person that has more respect for General George and his 42 years of service, his Purple Heart, his wife Patty, their grandkids, their kids. I adore them, and he was an amazing, transformational leader. I, too, loved General George.”
ARMY SECRETARY DAN DRISCOLL PRAISES OUSTED SENIOR LEADER: ‘I, TOO, LOVE GENERAL GEORGE’
Hegseth has previously removed the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Charles Q Brown; Navy’s chief of naval operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti; Adm. Linda Fagan, then the Coast Guard commandant; Gen. James Slife, the former vice chief of staff of the Air Force; and Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, who was the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
The Navy declined to comment to the Washington Examiner and directed the outlet to the Pentagon.
