BREAKING: Secretary of the Navy Abruptly Resigns

Another top-ranking Trump official has just turned in his resignation.

Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is stepping down, effective immediately.

He gave no reason for his sudden departure.

Here are the details:

🇺🇸 Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is out immediately.

Hung Cao is stepping in as Acting Secretary of the Navy, effective now.

The Pentagon made the announcement on behalf of the Secretary of Defense and Deputy Secretary of Defense, thanking Phelan for his service.

No… https://t.co/mzi3OMRMXZ pic.twitter.com/Sq0pU0ByZ4

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) April 22, 2026

Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is out immediately.

Hung Cao is stepping in as Acting Secretary of the Navy, effective now.

The Pentagon made the announcement on behalf of the Secretary of Defense and Deputy Secretary of Defense, thanking Phelan for his service.

No explanation for the abrupt timing.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced Phelan’s resignation in a statement shared on X:

STATEMENT:

Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately.

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…

— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellASW) April 22, 2026

STATEMENT:

Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately.

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.

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We wish him well in his future endeavors.

Undersecretary Hung Cao will become Acting Secretary of the Navy.

Of course, Phelan’s exit comes as the U.S. Navy has imposed a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, under President Trump’s orders.

Notably, it also comes shortly after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth fired multiple Army generals.

AP provided more context:

The sudden departure comes just a day after Phelan addressed a large crowd of sailors and industry professionals at the Navy’s annual conference in Washington, D.C., and spoke with reporters about his agenda.

Phelan’s departure also comes just weeks after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired the Army’s top officer, Gen. Randy George. Hegseth also has fired several top generals, admirals and other defense leaders since taking office last year. As with many of those other firings, Pentagon officials did not offer a reason for Phelan’s departure.

Phelan is leaving just as the U.S. Navy has imposed a blockade of Iranian ports and is targeting ships linked to Tehran around the world during a tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war.

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Phelan had not served in the military or had a civilian leadership role in the service before President Donald Trump nominated him for secretary in late 2024.

Phelan was a major donor to Trump’s campaign and founded the private investment firm Rugger Management LLC. According to his biography, Phelan’s primary exposure to the military came from an advisory position he held on the Spirit of America, a non-profit that supported the defense of Ukraine and the defense of Taiwan.

Navy Veteran Hung Cao has been named as Acting Secretary of the Navy.

Cao is truly an incredible patriot.

His family escaped from Communist Vietnam, and he went on to serve in the U.S. Navy for 25 years.

President Trump appointed him as Navy Undersecretary after he lost his 2024 Senate bid in Virginia.

Here’s a clip from Cao’s campaign:

🚨 WOW! Meet our new Acting Secretary of the US Navy, HUNG CAO — who fled Communist Vietnam

"Don’t come to this country and ask for the American DREAM if you’re not willing to obey the American LAWS and embrace the American CULTURE!"

"We came to this country with NOTHING. We… pic.twitter.com/YjRJYxwoM6

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 22, 2026

WOW! Meet our new Acting Secretary of the US Navy, HUNG CAO — who fled Communist Vietnam

“Don’t come to this country and ask for the American DREAM if you’re not willing to obey the American LAWS and embrace the American CULTURE!”

“We came to this country with NOTHING. We asked nothing from this country…together, we will make America great again!”

PATRIOT. 🇺🇸

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