Donald Trump’s administration lost another key cabinet secretary as a sudden Pentagon departure raised more questions than answers. The exit adds to a growing list of high-profile shakeups within the President’s defense leadership.
Navy Secretary John Phelan to exit Trump administration
Secretary of the Navy John Phelan has left the Trump administration “effective immediately,” CNBC reported Wednesday. Department of Defense spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the departure but offered no explanation. Reuters later reported that Phelan had been fired, citing a source familiar with the matter.
“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,” Parnell said. “We wish him well in his future endeavors.” Navy Under Secretary Hung Cao will lead the branch in an acting capacity.
Phelan’s exit arrives as the U.S. Navy enforces a blockade of Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz. The key oil-shipping route has become a major choke point in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
The departure follows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s firing of U.S. Army Chief of Staff Randy George less than three weeks earlier. The Wall Street Journal reported that Hegseth dismissed George in a “terse phone call” over suspected leaks to The New York Times. The leaked story reportedly involved the Pentagon chief blocking promotions of two Black and two female Army officers. Hegseth has reportedly fired more than a dozen senior military officers since taking office.
Phelan had no military experience before President Donald Trump appointed him in March 2025. He is a major art collector, Republican donor, and former leader of private investment firms. CNN reported in February that Phelan appeared on a flight manifest for late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s private plane. The manifest showed a 2006 flight from London to New York. The Department of Justice released the document as part of millions of Epstein-related files.
Originally reported by Vritti Johar on Mandatory.com.
