Trump Fires Navy Secretary John Phelan as Pete Hegseth Continues Pentagon Purge

The Trump administration’s personnel shake-up at the Pentagon continued with the dismissal of the Secretary of the Navy, John Phelan, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth carried out what El País described as a “purge” in the Pentagon.

“President Donald Trump pushed out Navy Secretary John Phelan on Wednesday night, adding to the chaotic global situation caused by his decision to wage war against Iran”

Daily Kos

El País said Hegseth and Phelan had been “at odds for months,” and that Phelan returned to “pre-public service duties” as a “multimillionaire art collector” who had raised funds for Trump’s reelection campaign.

Daily Kos

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that Phelan “decided to leave his post,” after praising him as “an old friend and a very successful businessman.”

The Times reported that Phelan made “an extraordinary dash to the White House” to confirm directly with Trump whether he had been fired.

CNN, as cited by The Times, said Phelan called White House officials to corroborate an ultimatum from Hegseth to resign or be sacked, but still wanted to hear it directly from Trump.

The Pentagon’s statement, as quoted by The Times, said Phelan was “departing the administration, effective immediately,” without giving further details.

The Washington Post said Phelan’s departure was “effective immediately” after “13 tumultuous months at the Pentagon,” and it described the exit as abrupt.

The Print added that Phelan was “the first administration-picked service secretary to be fired since Trump came back into office last year,” placing the dismissal within a broader wartime pattern of “extraordinary wartime purges in the Pentagon.”

The accounts of how Phelan learned of his fate highlight both the administration’s messaging and the internal friction around access to Trump.

El País said Trump posted on Thursday on Truth Social, “a few hours after using the same platform to announce that he had ordered the Navy ships under Phelan's command to fire at ships that place mines in the Strait of Hormuz.”

El País

In that same Truth Social post, El País quoted Trump praising Phelan as “an old friend and a very successful businessman” and saying Phelan “performed outstanding work as my Secretary of the Navy over the past year.”

El País also quoted Trump’s line that Phelan had “decided to leave his post.”

The Times described a different tone inside the West Wing, saying Phelan “made his way over to the West Wing” and that in a “brief meeting with the president, Trump confirmed that Phelan had indeed been ousted.”

The Times reported that the departure was said to be “because of slow progress on shipbuilding reforms,” while also noting “there were also reports that Phelan’s departure marked the culmination of months of growing tensions with Hegseth.”

The Times further said Hegseth “did not like Phelan’s direct access to Trump,” as claimed in the report.

South Florida Reporter described the resignation announcement as delivered via social media by Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell on “Wednesday, April 22, 2026,” and it framed the exit as effective immediately.

The dismissal unfolded while the Navy was described as playing a central role in the conflict involving Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.

“In a move that has sent shockwaves through the Pentagon—newly rebranded under the Trump administration as theDepartment of War—Secretary of the NavyJohn C”

South Florida Reporter

Daily Kos said the Navy’s “central role in the conflict” included “intercepting ships attempting to navigate the Strait of Hormuz,” and it framed the personnel decision as coming “amid the Navy’s central role in the conflict.”

El País said Trump’s post followed an announcement ordering “the Navy ships under Phelan's command to fire at ships that place mines in the Strait of Hormuz.”

The Print said naval forces had “played a central role, enforcing a blockade intended to pressure Tehran into negotiations,” and it described the administration’s emphasis on expanding naval power.

The Print also cited a Reuters report saying Phelan had clashed with senior leaders and was “viewed as slow to implement shipbuilding reforms seen as central to the administration’s military strategy.”

The Times reported that Phelan’s tenure included his announcement in December of a new “Trump-class” battleship, describing the first vessel, the USS Defiant, as “the largest, deadliest and most versatile and best-looking warship anywhere on the world’s oceans.”

The Times said the USS Defiant would be fitted with “hypersonic weapons, electronic rail guns and high-powered lasers” and capable of firing a “nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile.”

After Phelan’s departure, The Times said Hung Cao, the navy undersecretary and a “25-year navy veteran,” would become acting secretary of the navy.

Reactions to the purge and the Phelan firing were framed through both political and institutional voices, with different outlets emphasizing different causes.

Daily Kos quoted Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island saying, “I am concerned it is yet another example of the instability and dysfunction that have come to define the Department of Defense under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth,” and it tied that criticism to the broader pattern of departures.

ThePrint

El País described the purge as continuing under Hegseth and said tensions were “especially grave between the Secretary of Defense” and the Secretary of the Army, Dan Driscoll, naming J. D. Vance as a possible 2028 successor.

The Print said Phelan’s strained relationships included deputy defense secretary Steve Feinberg and Hung Cao, and it described the dismissal as linked to “strained relationships with key Pentagon figures.”

The Times reported that the Pentagon’s spokesman Sean Parnell said, “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,” and it added, “We wish him well in his future endeavours.”

The Times also described Phelan’s background and fundraising, saying he raised “$12 million for Trump’s 2024 election campaign,” and it said he was a “multimillionaire investment company manager based in Palm Beach, Florida.”

The Print added that Phelan was “a billionaire who was considered close to Trump,” and it described the dismissal as the “third dismissal of a high-ranking official” amid wartime purges.

South Florida Reporter, by contrast, asserted that the Pentagon had been rebranded under the Trump administration as the “Department of War” and claimed the “why” behind Phelan’s exit was rooted in “a bitter internal rivalry” and ideological struggle.

The sources portray the Phelan exit as part of a continuing reshuffle that affects both Navy leadership and the broader chain of command.

“Democracy Dies in Darkness By Dan Lamothe , Tara Copp and Noah Robertson Navy Secretary John Phelan will depart the Trump administration “effective immediately,” officials said Wednesday evening, an abrupt exit after 13 tumultuous months at the Pentagon”

The Washington Post

El País said the purge included earlier removals and resignations, and it described how Trump “got rid of” multiple senior figures, while also saying that “this second time” he surrounded himself with “a team so loyal” that it seemed like a “Praetorian Guard.”

Daily Kos

El País then linked Phelan’s firing to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s broader actions, saying Hegseth “got rid of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Chief of Naval Operations” and “the general who served as deputy to the Army's General Staff.”

The Print said the purge had extended beyond the Pentagon, citing Joe Kent’s resignation on “17 March,” and it quoted Kent’s claim that “This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States.”

The Times described additional leadership changes, saying Hegseth fired “General Randy George” and that Trump replaced “General Charles Q Brown Jr as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff” with Dan “Razin” Caine.

The Times also said Hegseth purged senior officers including “Admiral Lisa Franchetti” and “General James C Slife,” and it reported that Cao would take over as acting secretary.

In the immediate aftermath, The Times quoted Cao’s priorities as “taking care of our sailors and marines, advancing shipbuilding initiatives, and ensuring the defence of our homeland,” and it included his commitment to “providing unwavering support to our warriors down range.”

South Florida Reporter framed the transition as a shift in civilian leadership aligned with the administration’s “Make America Strong Again” directives, asserting that Cao’s role would ensure the Navy’s leadership is “fully aligned.”