Trump replacing Navy secretary in major shakeup as Strait of Hormuz blockade rages

NY Post ^ | April 22, 2026 | By Emily Goodin

[dennisw]

President Trump is replacing his Secretary of the Navy as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues as a key chokepoint in the war against Iran.

John Phelan is leaving, effective immediately, and Undersecretary Hung Cao will become Acting Secretary of the Navy, the Pentagon said Wednesday in a surprise announcement. No reason was given for his departure.

“Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced. “We wish him well in his future endeavors.”

Cao, a Navy veteran and failed Virginia Senate candidate, is well-liked by the president.

The secretary of the Navy oversees more than 900,000 people and an annual budget of more than $210 billion.

But the role of late has had one major task: leading the Strait of Hormuz blockade. The Navy is the lead military branch on that mission.

The Strait is essentially in lockdown as the US and Iran remain in a stalemate on peace talks.

Cao is a Vietnamese refugee who came to Virginia as a child and graduated from the US Naval Academy. He was in the service for 25 years with postings in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia.

Trump praised his personal story and his military experience when he announced Cao’s nomination for undersecretary.

“Hung is the embodiment of the American Dream. As a refugee to our Great Nation, Hung worked tirelessly to make proud the Country that gave his family a home,” the president said.

[maddog55]

It’s called humor.

Humor makes fun of everyone, it’s not racist or offensive unless someone sees everything as racist and offensive and we know who those types are.

[Hot Tabasco]

Trump wanted to resurrect a new class of battleships and deliver the first ship by 2028. So Phelan was hired to do the job.

Unfortunately, he failed miserably and was unable to come up with a plan. That's why he was let go.