Posted on 04/22/2026 3:36:43 PM PDT by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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quite strong!
And apparently you didn’t bother to read the article...
Ssshhh. Don’t ask such inconvenient questions.
Cabinet secretary?
Who hired this guy?
Uhhh... no. Its not that the President was “not served well.” Its that the President picked the wrong guy for the job. Its like entering your plow horse in the Kentucky Derby. If he loses its not because he “didn’t serve well”. Its because he’s a f’ing plow horse.
The job changed and needs a different skill set. Trump rotates people based on the skill set needed at the time. That leadership style is one of his hallmarks.
Big Trump fundraiser who no doubt saw the position as a money-making opportunity.
I’ve read about Hung Cao - a great man.
“Iran can get stuff by rail from China and via the Caspian Sea from Russia.”
It would be a shame if Iranian railroad bridges and port docks were out of service waiting for improvements.
“Iran can get stuff by rail from China and via the Caspian Sea from Russia.”
Rail would be trivial to eliminate, ports can’t operate if the capacity to load and unload are destroyed.
This is the third Cabinet Secretary to leave this month.
Is there a problem?
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Some of them seem hard to take the bit
Hooray!
Let’s go, Cao!
Also, he’s Hung...
The job changed? How could the job of the Secretary of the Navy possibly change in 15 months? The job is to plan for and execute wars. What was it in January 2025? Organizing dinner parties?
My mistake. Thanks all for catching it.
Just think. Were we in a military operation with Iran 15 months ago? Was one in the offing? The geopolitical situation is quite different than a year ago and requires a different skill set.
It’s not about number of months, it’s about appreciating the current task and selecting the best person for the job at this point.
You’ve been saving this picture for just this moment???
SecNav is not a cabinet position. It is an appointed position, but not cabinet level. Problem is he had limited naval/war experience and we’re in the middle of a hot naval war. Needs naval experience.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Makes sense to me
Cao seems like he’s made for this moment
No worries.
We all trying keep apprised of the situation ourselves.
Sometimes hard to keep up with The Trump. 😊
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