Secretary of the U.S. Navy John Phelan was revealed to be leaving his role with the Trump administration, “effective immediately,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell shared.
In a post on X, Parnell expressed that, on behalf of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg, they were “grateful” to Phelan “for his service.” Parnell added that Under Secretary of the U.S. Navy Hung Cao would be serving as the Acting Secretary of the Navy.
“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,” Parnell said. “We wish him well in his future endeavors.”
Phelan’s departure from the administration comes as former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, former Attorney General Pam Bondi, and former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem are among the other officials who have left the Trump administration.
Phelan was reportedly “asked to step down,” an “official” in the Trump administration told the Hill. Phelan’s departure comes after he was sworn into his position in March 2025.
Phelan’s departure also comes as Hegseth has been reported to have “ousted dozens of senior military officials,” according to the outlet.