Why did Trump fire Navy Secretary John Phelan? US President says, ‘Some people liked him, some people didn't’

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Navy Secretary John Phelan was dismissed following disagreements with senior Pentagon officials over shipbuilding issues, as reported by Reuters.

Phelan's removal is part of a broader wave of leadership changes at the Pentagon,

The shakeup comes just weeks after Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth removed the Army’s top uniformed officer, Gen. Randy George. Since taking office last year, Hegseth has also dismissed several other senior generals, admirals and defence officials.

Phelan's dismissal was the latest wartime shakeup at the Pentagon.

“He's a hard charger, and he had some conflicts with some other people, mostly as to building and buying new ships,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “Got to get along, especially in the military, got to get along, you know. And some people liked him, some people didn't, and that's usually the truth about everything.”

The wave of dismissals began in February 2025, when Hegseth removed several senior military leaders, including Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy’s top uniformed officer, and Gen. Jim Slife, the Air Force’s second-in-command. Trump dismissed Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. from his role as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as reported by AP.

Phelan's removal was abrupt. Just days earlier, he had addressed a large gathering of sailors and industry professionals at the Navy’s annual conference in Washington, where he outlined his priorities and spoke to reporters.

He had also recently met with leaders of the House Armed Services Committee to discuss the Navy’s budget proposal and shipbuilding plans, according to a post from his office.

John Phelan had been a major Trump donor

Phelan had not served in the military or had a civilian leadership role in the service before Trump nominated him for secretary in late 2024. He was seen as an outsider brought in by Trump to shake up the Navy.

Phelan, a major donor to Trump’s campaign, founded the private investment firm Rugger Management LLC. According to his biography, his primary military exposure came through an advisory position with Spirit of America, a nonprofit that supported the defence of Ukraine and Taiwan.

The Navy also has maintained a heavy presence in the Caribbean, where it has been part of a campaign of strikes against alleged drug boats. It also played a major role in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January.

Hung Cao, new acting Navy secretary, ran unsuccessful bids for Congress

Hung Cao has taken over as acting secretary. He previously ran an unsuccessful US Senate campaign in Virginia in 2024, aiming to unseat Democratic Senator Tim Kaine. Cao received the endorsement of Trump during a crowded Republican primary and also spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention, AP reported.

His background includes fleeing Vietnam with his family as a child in the 1970s. During his Senate campaign, he drew comparisons between Vietnam’s communist government during the Cold War and the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden.

During his one debate with Senator Tim Kaine, Cao criticised COVID-19 vaccine mandates for service members as well as the military’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

“When you’re using a drag queen to recruit for the Navy, that’s not the people we want,” Cao said from the debate stage. “What we need is alpha males and alpha females who are going to rip out their own guts, eat them and ask for seconds. Those are the young men and women that are going to win wars.”

Hung Cao graduated from the prestigious Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, before going on to study at the United States Naval Academy.

He was commissioned as a special operations officer and later served with SEAL teams and special forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia, eventually retiring with the rank of captain, according to his Senate campaign biography.

Cao also earned a master’s degree in physics and held fellowships at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University.

As Navy undersecretary, he has advocated for reinstating service members who refused to comply with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate introduced during the administration of Joe Biden.