Navy Secretary Phelan Departs Administration

Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is departing the administration effective immediately, officials announced. No reason was given for his exit.

“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,” Sean Parnell, the assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs, wrote in a post on X.

Undersecretary Hung Cao will serve as acting secretary of the Navy, he stated.

Cao was nominated to the No. 2 position in February 2025 by President Donald Trump and later confirmed in October 2025.

A retired Navy captain, Cao served 25 years after entering the service in 1989. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy and worked as a Navy diver and Explosive Ordnance Disposal officer.

Unlike Cao, Phelan had no prior military service or civilian leadership experience in the Navy before his nomination by Trump in late 2024. He was nominated as an outsider to “shake up” how the Navy does business. He was confirmed as secretary in March 2025.

“John will be a tremendous force for our naval service members and a steadfast leader in advancing my America First vision,” Trump said in his initial nomination statement, adding that Phelan “will put the business of the U.S. Navy above all else.”

Phelan’s departure comes amid a broader series of leadership departures at the Pentagon, including the Army’s top uniformed officer, Gen. Randy George; Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy’s top uniformed officer; and Gen. Jim Slife, the Air Force’s No. 2 leader.