Navy Secretary John Phelan removed

Date

Apr 22, 2026

Kind

Military

Legal outcome

Unchallenged

Source

militarytimes.com ↗

Agency or court

Department of the Navy

What happened

The Pentagon announced Phelan was out effective immediately without giving a reason; a senior administration official said "President Trump and Secretary Hegseth agreed new leadership at the Navy is needed." Under Secretary Hung Cao became acting secretary.

Publisher

Military Times