The Trump administration has fired Navy Secretary John Phelan, according to Pentagon officials. The departure, confirmed on Wednesday, marks the first removal of a service secretary under the current administration and comes amid an internal dispute over shipbuilding rather than the ongoing naval blockade of Iran's Strait of Hormuz.
Sources familiar with the situation told the Guardian that Phelan's dismissal stemmed from a poor relationship with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Deputy Defence Secretary Steve Feinberg, and his own deputy, Hung Cao. The Pentagon reportedly believed Phelan was moving too slowly on shipbuilding reforms personally sought by President Trump, and there was an ongoing ethics investigation into his office.
Feinberg had sought to consolidate all navy shipbuilding and major acquisition responsibilities, according to sources, and appeared to have prevailed. The New York Times reported that Feinberg moved to strip Phelan of authority over major shipbuilding programmes. Phelan's chief of staff, Jon Harrison, was fired by Hegseth in October, shortly before Cao's confirmation, sidelining a key aide who had helped Phelan restructure navy offices.
Cao, a former navy officer and Republican Senate candidate, has been named acting navy secretary. Phelan's dismissal is the latest in a series of high-profile departures since the start of the war with Iran, including three cabinet secretaries in four weeks: Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi, and Lori Chavez-DeRemer. Republican senators have privately warned of further upheaval, with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly at risk.
