Pentagon announces sudden exit of Navy Secretary Phelan

The Pentagon has announced the resignation of U.S. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, though no official reason for his departure has been provided.

According to Caliber.Az, the announcement was made by U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defence for Public Affairs Sean Parnell. Following Phelan’s resignation, his first deputy, Hang Cao, has been appointed acting Secretary of the Navy.

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

Additional details reported by Axios suggest that internal tensions within the Pentagon may have played a role. Sources told the publication that Phelan had a strained relationship with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, which may have influenced the circumstances surrounding his resignation.

"Phelan didn't understand he wasn't the boss. His job is to follow orders given, not follow the orders he thinks should be given," a person familiar with the situation told Axios. The same source added that Phelan and Hegseth did not "get along."

Despite these tensions, Phelan is said to have maintained a good relationship with President Donald Trump. According to Axios, the two had communicated directly, including exchanging messages about issues such as rust on warships. However, another source familiar with the matter said Hegseth was frustrated that Phelan had bypassed the chain of command by maintaining a direct line to Trump, whose Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach is located near Phelan’s residence.

The resignation comes at a time of heightened tensions, including a naval standoff with Iran, and follows recent changes in military leadership. Approximately three weeks earlier, Hegseth removed Army Chief of Staff General Randy George and two other military leaders.

Hegseth has also reportedly experienced friction with Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, who has been widely praised for leading an Army transformation initiative and is known to be a close ally of Vice President JD Vance. "The difference between Phelan and Driscoll is that Driscoll is kicking ass with the transformation initiative. And he's Vance's guy. Phelan is none of those things," said a Pentagon insider.

Despite the internal disputes, Hegseth is said to remain in strong standing with President Trump and key figures in the administration, including Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine.

"Those are the four most important relationships he can have, and they're good," a senior administration official said. "But you never know around here."

By Tamilla Hasanova