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The Pentagon announced on Wednesday that Navy Secretary John Phelan has left his post, making him the latest top US defence official to step down or be fired.
The news was announced late on Wednesday in a post on X by Pentagon spokesperson and Defence Secretary assistant Sean Parnell, who said the US Department of Defence “wish him well in his future endeavours.”
No reason was given for the unexpected departure of the Navy’s top civilian official, coming as the sea service has imposed a blockade of Iranian ports and is targeting ships linked to Tehran around the world during a tenuous ceasefire in the war.
Following Phelan’s departure, the post will be held on an interim basis by Navy Under Secretary Hung Cao, a 25-year Navy combat veteran who ran unsuccessful campaigns for the US Senate and House in Virginia.
The announcement marks the latest in a series of shakeups of top leadership at the Pentagon, coming just weeks after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth fired the Army’s top uniformed officer, General Randy George.
Hegseth has also fired several other top generals, admirals and defence leaders since taking office last year.
The reshuffle began in February 2025, when Hegseth removed military leaders, including Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the Navy’s top uniformed officer, and General Jim Slife, the second-in-command at the Air Force.
US President Donald Trump also fired General Charles “CQ” Brown Jr as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Phelan is leaving during a busy time for the Navy. It has three aircraft carriers deployed in or heading to the Middle East, while the Trump administration says all the armed forces are poised to resume combat operations against Iran should the ceasefire expire.
Sudden departure
Phelan had neither served in the military nor held a civilian leadership role in the service.
According to his biography, Phelan’s primary exposure to the military came from an advisory position he held on the Spirit of America, a non-profit that supported the defence of Ukraine and Taiwan.
He was a major donor to Trump’s campaign and had founded the private investment firm Rugger Management LLC.
On Tuesday, Phelan addressed a large crowd of sailors and industry professionals at the US Navy’s annual conference in Washington and spoke with reporters about his agenda, representing how sudden his dismissal was.
He also hosted the leaders of the House Armed Services Committee to discuss the Navy’s budget request and efforts to build more ships, according to a social media post from his office.
Acting Secretary Cao, who ran a failed US Senate bid in Virginia to try to unseat Democratic Senator Tim Kaine in 2024, had Trump’s endorsement in the crowded Republican primary and gave a speech at the 2024 Republican National Convention.
During his one debate with Kaine, Cao criticised COVID-19 vaccine mandates for service members and the military’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. He also expressed his opposition to aid for Ukraine when he ran for Congress in Virginia in 2022.
“My heart goes out to the Ukrainian people, but right now we’re borrowing $55 billion from China to pay for the war in Ukraine. Not only that, we’re depleting our national strategic reserves,” said Cao.
Since becoming the Navy’s under secretary, Cao has championed the return to duty of service members who refused a Biden-era mandate to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
Additional sources • AP