John Phelan is ‘departing the administration, effective immediately’ says Pentagon as undersecretary Hung Cao takes over – key US politics stories from 22 April 2026 at a glance
The Pentagon announced on Wednesday that the navy’s top civilian official, John Phelan, the secretary of the navy, is leaving his job.
In a statement posted to social media, Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesperson, said Phelan was “departing the administration, effective immediately”.
Hung Cao, the navy undersecretary, would become acting secretary of the navy, Parnell said.
Reuters, citing an anonymous source, reported Phelan had been fired by the Pentagon.
