Trump Navy Secretary Resigns Effective Immediately

Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is resigning effective immediately, the Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs said in a statement released Wednesday.

Officials in the Department of War took to social media to announce that Phelan stepped down from his position. The department expressed appreciation for his service to both the Navy and the broader defense establishment.

“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,” Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell wrote. “We wish him well in his future endeavors.”

Phelan was sworn in as the 79th Secretary of the Navy on March 25, 2025, by Jon Harrison, then-Chief of Staff of the Department of the Navy. Phelan worked alongside Harrison to implement organizational changes under Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s leadership before Hegseth removed Harrison from his position in October.

Parnell said that Undersecretary Hung Cao will now serve as the Acting Secretary of the Navy. The Senate confirmed retired Navy captain and former Virginia Republican Senate candidate Cao as Undersecretary of the Navy in a 52–45 party-line vote, with Republican Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski the only Republican opposing the nomination.