A senior figure in Donald Trump’s administration abruptly stepped down, and his replacement is drawing scrutiny over past controversial comments.
On Wednesday, the Pentagon announced that John Phelan, Secretary of the Navy, would leave the Trump administration. The 62-year-old’s departure is “effective immediately,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a social media update.
“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,” Parnell wrote.
According to the BBC, Navy Undersecretary Hung Cao, a retired Navy captain and former Republican Senate candidate in Virginia, will reportedly serve as the new acting secretary for the Trump administration.
View this post on Instagram
While the reason for John Phelan’s exit has not been publicly disclosed, Mirror US reported it followed disagreements with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his deputy Stephen Feinberg.
However, after the South Vietnam-born officer was named Acting Navy Secretary, a series of questionable comments by the 54-year-old resurfaced online, sparking fresh criticism.
In a 2024 interview with America’s Real Voice, Hung Cao said he might be called a white supremacist. He referenced a Ku Klux Klan hood and said he would prefer one with slits instead of circular openings to see better.
“I have one ask for them, it’s just when you give me my hood, make sure it’s got the little slits and not the circles so I can see better,” Cao said, leaving the host stunned.
Furthermore, similar comments from the past resurfaced after Hung Cao’s nomination. From repeated references to combat injuries to claims that he was completely disabled from being “blown up” several times, the officer has become a target for media scrutiny.
“I’m 100% disabled, you know, because just from being blown up in combat many times and everything else, you know, knee, shoulders,” Cao said.
Additionally, a 2024 report by USA Today noted that multiple retired military officers found it unusual that a service member claiming such severe combat injuries had not received a Purple Heart (the oldest military decoration awarded to service members wounded or killed during combat). Later, Cao slammed the outlet for scrutinizing his credibility and questioning the authenticity of his injuries.
“Imagine being asked to provide documentation of the dates and times Al-Qaeda shot at you. Imagine being asked, if you’re a disabled veteran, why don’t you have a Purple Heart?”
In a 2023 interview, Cao claimed he was African American based on having lived in Africa during childhood. He also made bizarre comments about witchcraft allegedly taking over California, which he did not want for Virginia.
View this post on Instagram
Cao first entered the U.S. Navy as a seaman recruit in 1989. After completing advanced degrees, he became part of high-profile cases as he led the team at USNS Grasp and recovered the bodies of John F Kennedy Jr, his wife and sister-in-law after the July 16, 1999, aircraft crash. He later also received the Command Ashore Badge, the Navy Diving Officer Badge, and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Warfare Officers Badge.
News of John Phelan’s exit came weeks after Hegseth asked Army Chief of Staff Randy George to step down. Two other officers, Gen. David Hodne and Maj. Gen. William Green have also been fired from their roles as of April 2026.
The acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Todd Lyons, will step down on May 13 to join the private sector and Kristi Noem and Trump’s top counterterrorism official Joe Kent have already resigned in March amidst political instability across the country.
