Trump Fired the Chief of the U.S. Navy - Felan Asked Him Not to Do It

How the Dismissal Happened

According to the publication, on Wednesday, Felan received a phone call from Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth asking him to leave his position. He spent most of the day on Capitol Hill, meeting with lawmakers regarding naval shipbuilding and the Pentagon's budget request.

Meanwhile, another meeting was taking place not far from the White House, which, according to U.S. officials, would determine John Felan's fate.

In particular, Hegseth and his deputy Stephen Feinberg argued to Trump that the chief of the U.S. Navy was not advancing quickly enough in implementing the president's priority shipbuilding tasks, especially regarding the "Gold Fleet" and the growing reliance on steam engines. They concluded that the Navy needed new leadership.

Felan, for his part, made a number of calls, including to the president's assistant, stating that he needed to speak with Trump. He then headed to the White House.

As soon as Trump had a free minute closer to the evening, Felan asked him to keep him in his position and not to fire him. However, sources say that the U.S. leader supported Hegseth's decision. The media notes that by approving Felan's dismissal, the president sided with the Pentagon chief rather than a personal friend and neighbor who had raised millions of dollars for his campaign. Ultimately, as administration representatives said, Trump instructed Hegseth to fire Felan.

WSJ sources say that the dismissal was a shock to Felan and his closest aides, who learned of the resignation from Pentagon press secretary Sean Parnell's post on social media X. The publication also writes that Felan's desire to speak with Trump before a decision was made could have been one of the reasons for his dismissal. Sources revealed that "the refusal (of the Navy chief - ed.) to acknowledge subordination" was unacceptable to the president.

Conflict and Concerns in the White House

According to U.S. officials, Hegseth's rapid reshuffling among the Pentagon's top leadership in recent weeks has raised concerns at a difficult time, as America is conducting a naval blockade of Iranian ports. Although the Navy chief is not part of the operational chain of command, Felan played a significant role in the process of the Pentagon's request for the largest budget in history.

Sources from the publication noted that some officials in the White House are unhappy with Hegseth's dismissals, especially given that the Navy is ensuring compliance with the complex blockade of Iranian ports. Furthermore, Trump's support for Felan's sudden dismissal led many to wonder who might be the next candidate for dismissal.