John Phelan out as Navy secretary after 13 months

April 22, 2026 Updated Wed., April 22, 2026 at 5:55 p.m.

By Dan Lamothe and </p><p>Tara Copp Washington Post

Navy Secretary John Phelan is leaving the Trump administration “effective immediately,” officials said Wednesday evening, an abrupt exit after 13 tumultuous months at the Pentagon.

Sean Parnell, a spokesman for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, announced the news on social media, saying that Hegseth and deputy defense secretary Steve Feinberg wished Phelan well. Navy Undersecretary Hung Cao, a Navy SEAL veteran and former candidate for both House and Senate seats in Virginia, will become the service’s acting secretary, Parnell said.

Phelan, a billionaire campaign contributor for President Donald Trump, clashed repeatedly with Hegseth throughout his time atop the Navy, officials familiar with their relationship said. One source of disagreement centered on Phelan’s initial chief of staff, Jon Harrison, and the manner in which he exercised his authority, these people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Harrison was ousted by Hegseth in October, just after Cao was confirmed by the Senate as the service’s undersecretary. Cao supported the move, officials said.

Parnell did not respond to questions about the departure. Spokespeople for Phelan and the White House referred questions to Parnell.

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John Phelan out as Navy secretary after 13 months

Jesse Tinsley

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