JAKARTA - United States Navy Secretary John Cartwright Phelan was fired from his post on Wednesday, according to six sources familiar with the matter, amid tensions with Secretary of Defense (now Secretary of War) Pete Hegseth over the implementation of ship development reforms and his close relationship with President Donald Trump.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Wednesday night that Phelan would "soon" resign, a surprising announcement that came even as the US Navy was blockading Iranian ports during a lull in the Iran war.
Previously, Hegseth had spoken to Trump and told Phelan he needed to resign or be fired, two sources familiar with the matter said.
"President Trump and Secretary Hegseth agree that new leadership in the Navy is needed," one source, a senior administration official, told CNN, as quoted (23/4).
The Navy referred questions about the details of Phelan's departure to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House referred CNN to a statement from Parnell.
"On behalf of the Secretary of War and the Under Secretary of War, we thank Secretary Phelan for his service to the Department and the United States Navy," Parnell said in a post on X.
"We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors. Deputy Minister Hung Cao will be the Acting Minister of the Navy," he continued.
The announcement came as a surprise, given the timing, given that the Navy plays a key role in stopping Iranian vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz. So far, US forces have diverted 31 ships to return to port and have also boarded two ships.
Several sources told CNN there had been months of tension between Phelan and Hegseth, who believed Phelan was too slow in implementing shipbuilding reforms and was also upset by Phelan's direct communication with President Trump, which Hegseth saw as an attempt to bypass him.
Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg also wants to take over the primary responsibility for ship construction and naval procurement, work that has traditionally been within Phelan's purview.
According to a senior White House official, the issue came to a head during a meeting between President Trump and Hegseth regarding shipbuilding at the White House on Wednesday.
President Trump, frustrated with the slow progress on the ship, believed during the meeting that Phelan needed to be replaced, and he and his defense secretary decided to appoint someone who would move faster, the official said.
President Trump told Hegseth to "take care of it," because Phelan was under the Secretary of Defense. Hegseth sent Phelan a message telling him he had to resign or be fired, the official said.
The official said Phelan, however, did not seem to believe President Trump knew about the message, and he immediately began calling other White House officials to ask if they had heard he had been told to resign and if they knew if the president knew.
It was around then that Parnell made the statement, the official said.
At least two White House staff told Phelan that the decision was President Trump's decision, the official said. However, Phelan still asked for confirmation from the president himself or someone close to him, came to the White House grounds and sought out officials in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building who had a relationship with him, asking if they had any information, the official said.
Phelan then asked to meet with President Trump and went to the West Wing lobby, the official said, and President Trump met with him briefly, confirming Phelan had lost his job.
Phelan is a businessman with no prior military experience. He and his wife raised millions of dollars for Trump's campaign before he was confirmed as Secretary of the Navy in 2025.
"John will be a tremendous asset to our Navy members, and a steadfast leader in advancing my 'America First' vision," President Trump said at the time.
"He will put the US Navy's affairs above everything else," he said.
Phelan's departure is the first among the military service ministers nominated under Trump. However, Hegseth has fired many senior military officers across the services since taking over leadership at the Pentagon.
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