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Navy Secretary Accuses Hegseth of “Usurping the Navy’s Authority”
(MENAFN) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has emerged more politically entrenched than ever inside the Pentagon, following the forced removal of former Navy Secretary John Phelan, who had clashed with senior Defense Department leadership over what he viewed as an unlawful power grab, the Washington Post reported Saturday, drawing on interviews with 16 individuals.
Phelan accused Hegseth and Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg of imposing "rigid control" on submarine and shipbuilding decisions, "usurping the Navy's authority," according to sources cited by the Washington Post. His objections swiftly reached Hegseth, who, together with Feinberg, built a case for Phelan's removal.
President Donald Trump signed off on the decision, and on April 22 senior Pentagon staff announced the departure of one of Hegseth's last remaining internal rivals within the agency.
The Washington Post noted that Hegseth is now "more confident than ever" about his standing — a position reinforced even as Trump recently ousted three Cabinet members deemed political liabilities: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
Insiders cautioned that fortunes inside the Trump administration can reverse without warning. One official illustrated the precarious dynamic with a stark analogy, comparing it to a grizzly bear pursuing a group of hikers: "As long as you don't run the slowest, you're safe — and Pete is not the slowest right now."
According to sources, Hegseth's consolidation of authority reaches well beyond weapons procurement, extending to direct oversight of senior personnel promotions across all military branches and the systematic curtailment of the longstanding autonomy enjoyed by top generals and admirals to engage publicly through speeches and social media.
One official captured the shift in blunt terms: "All the power has been taken away from the uniforms and 100 percent gone to the political appointees."
Phelan accused Hegseth and Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg of imposing "rigid control" on submarine and shipbuilding decisions, "usurping the Navy's authority," according to sources cited by the Washington Post. His objections swiftly reached Hegseth, who, together with Feinberg, built a case for Phelan's removal.
President Donald Trump signed off on the decision, and on April 22 senior Pentagon staff announced the departure of one of Hegseth's last remaining internal rivals within the agency.
The Washington Post noted that Hegseth is now "more confident than ever" about his standing — a position reinforced even as Trump recently ousted three Cabinet members deemed political liabilities: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
Insiders cautioned that fortunes inside the Trump administration can reverse without warning. One official illustrated the precarious dynamic with a stark analogy, comparing it to a grizzly bear pursuing a group of hikers: "As long as you don't run the slowest, you're safe — and Pete is not the slowest right now."
According to sources, Hegseth's consolidation of authority reaches well beyond weapons procurement, extending to direct oversight of senior personnel promotions across all military branches and the systematic curtailment of the longstanding autonomy enjoyed by top generals and admirals to engage publicly through speeches and social media.
One official captured the shift in blunt terms: "All the power has been taken away from the uniforms and 100 percent gone to the political appointees."
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