Did the Trump-Class Battleship Cost John Phelan His Job? |
Did the Trump-Class Battleship Cost John Phelan His Job?
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Insider sources claim that Trump grew frustrated with Secretary of the Navy John Phelan’s inability to deliver the Trump-class battleship by the time the president wanted it.
John Phelan has been a loyal ally of President Donald Trump for many years, helping to fundraise for Trump’s 2024 campaign and even donating close to a million dollars of his own money. Trump’s belief in businessmen as effective government officials, and his high regard for personal loyalty, were no doubt factors in Phelan’s favor when Trump nominated him for United States Secretary of the Navy shortly after his re-election.
“John will be a tremendous force for our Naval servicemembers, and a steadfast leader in advancing my America First vision,” the then-president-elect wrote of Phelan on November 26, 2024. “He will put the business of the US Navy above all else.”
Now, nearly 18 months later, Phelan has been abruptly forced to resign from the post, a development that caught many observers by surprise.
The “Outsider” Is on the Outside Again
Phelan was the first person with no military or civilian leadership role in the Armed Forces to lead the US Navy since 2006, when Donald Charles Winter became the 74th Secretary of the Navy. However, Winter had been an aerospace executive and chief technical officer at defense giant Northrop Grumman.
It is far more typical for presidents to select former Navy personnel to lead the service. For instance,........