Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed Navy Secretary John Phelan “effective immediately” on Apr. 22 after Phelan privately told Capitol Hill lawmakers that Hegseth and Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg had staged a “land grab” over submarine and shipbuilding decisions.
The account is based on interviews with 16 officials conducted by The Washington Post.
Phelan, who served just over a year in the role, had drawn criticism for overstepping his authority and bypassing the chain of command, leveraging his close personal access to President Donald Trump, a key concern for Hegseth.
Power Stripped
Hegseth’s consolidation now spans major weapons procurement, top-officer promotions and generals’ ability to communicate publicly. “All the power has been taken away from the uniforms and 100 percent gone to the political appointees,” one U.S. official told The Washington Post.
In early April, Hegseth fired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, who, in his farewell, urged the need for “leaders of character.”
Tensions between Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, a close ally of Vice President JD Vance, were also reported in April.
Ouster Was Swift
Hegseth and Feinberg laid out the case for removing Phelan after his private complaints reached the front office. Trump agreed and the decision was executed immediately. “It took literally three minutes for his s***talking to get back to the front office,” one official with direct knowledge of the ouster said.
Currently, 25-year veteran Hung Cao is serving as Acting Secretary of the Navy in an interim capacity.
The leadership overhaul in Trump’s administration did not restrict itself to the Pentagon, as Pam Bondi was removed from her position of Attorney General, while prediction markets speculate that FBI Director Kash Patel and National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard may also leave the administration.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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