In a sudden shake-up at the top of the U.S. Navy, Secretary John Phelan is leaving office immediately, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed. According to official White House sources, the decision followed a joint assessment by President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that new leadership is needed in this key branch of the military.
The same sources state that Hegseth personally informed Phelan of his dismissal before it was announced publicly. Deputy Secretary Hung Cao, a former Navy officer and political candidate who ran as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Virginia in 2024 but was defeated by Democrat Tim Kaine, has been appointed as the Navy’s acting civilian leader.
Phelan’s departure follows a series of changes and exits within the upper ranks of the U.S. military administration in recent months. The Department of Defense had previously requested the resignation of Army Chief of Staff General Randy George, while several senior officers were removed from leading positions, including the heads of Transportation Command, Training and Doctrine Command, and the Chaplain Corps. In addition, the commander of U.S. Southern Command, Admiral Alvin Holsey, retired at the end of last year.
During Phelan’s tenure, the Navy was involved in operations that included U.S. strikes on vessels suspected of drug smuggling in waters near Latin America, as well as seizures of oil tankers linked to Venezuela—operations that further heightened the geopolitical sensitivity surrounding its role.
