Pentagon: Navy Secretary to leave position 'immediately'

(Patria) - The Pentagon announced on Wednesday that Navy Secretary John Phelan is leaving his position 'immediately', the Pentagon announced, Al Arabiya reported.

"On behalf of the Secretary of War and the Deputy Secretary of War, we are grateful to Secretary Phelan for his service to the Department and the U.S. Navy," Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a post on social media platform X.
He wished Phelan all the best in his future endeavors and said that Under Secretary Hung Cao will become acting Navy Secretary.

The sudden departure comes just a day after Phelan addressed a large group of sailors and industry experts at the Navy's annual conference in Washington, D.C., and spoke with reporters about his agenda.

Phelan's departure comes just weeks after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired the Army's top officer, General Randy George, as well as two other senior Army generals.

Phelan had not served in the military nor held a civilian leadership role in the service before President Donald Trump nominated him for the secretary position in late 2024.

Phelan was a major donor to Trump's campaign and founded the private investment firm Rugger Management LLC. According to his biography, his primary contact with the military came from an advisory role he held at Spirit of America, a non-profit organization that supported the defense of Ukraine and Taiwan.