President Trump on Thursday released a statement on ousted Secretary of the Navy, John Phelan.
John Phelan on was reportedly fired by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday.
Undersecretary Hung Cao will become Acting Secretary of the Navy, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced.
Full statement from Sean Parnell:
Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately.
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.
We wish him well in his future endeavors.
Undersecretary Hung Cao will become Acting Secretary of the Navy.
STATEMENT:
Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately.
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.
We wish…
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellASW) April 22, 2026
At first it was unclear if John Phelan was fired or resigned but Fox News later reported that he was indeed fired.
NEW: Navy Secretary John Phelan has just been ‘FIRED’, reports Fox’s @JacquiHeinrich pic.twitter.com/8yT324P8mT
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) April 22, 2026
On Thursday, President Trump’s statement suggested Phelan departed on his own accord.
Full statement from President Trump:
John Phelan is a long time friend, and very successful businessman, who did an outstanding job serving as my Secretary Of The Navy for the last year.
John helped my Administration rebuild Sleepy Joe Biden’s rapidly depleted, and almost abandoned, Navy. Now, because of John, and all of the Great Men and Women lovingly and tirelessly involved, we have the strongest Navy in the World — BY FAR!
John Phelan is smart, tough, and respected by all, and although he has decided to move on from his position as Secretary Of The Navy, I very much appreciate the job that he has done, and would certainly like to have him back within the Trump Administration sometime in the future.
A very special thank you to John for his service to the United States of America! President DONALD J. TRUMP
Wednesday’s firing is part of the latest shakeup at the Pentagon.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, earlier this month, ordered Army Chief of Staff General Randy George to step down.
Last summer, Hegseth fired the general in charge of the agency that released the dubious ‘top secret’ intelligence assessment about the US’s strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse was fired as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Last year, Hegseth formally terminated the service of every member sitting on the Department of Defense’s advisory committees.
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