Trump taps financier and donor Phelan to be Navy secretary
John Phelan did not serve in the military and does not have a long track record with the Navy.
John Phelan, who is being nominated to be President-elect Donald Trump's Navy secretary, leads the private investment firm Rugger Management and once handled Michael Dell’s investments. | Alex Brandon/AP
By Jack Detsch
President-elect Donald Trump has selected businessman John Phelan as his nominee to lead the Navy, according to a statement released on Tuesday night.
“It is my great honor to announce John Phelan as our next United States Secretary of the Navy! John will be a tremendous force for our Naval Servicemembers, and a steadfast leader in advancing my America First vision,” Trump wrote. “He will put the business of the U.S. Navy above all else.”
Trump’s pick of Phelan, after choosing Army National Guard Veteran and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth to lead the Defense Department, is a sign that the incoming administration could prioritize disruptors coming into the agency instead of long-tenured bureaucrats. Trump is also eyeing businessman Steve Feinberg and defense investor Trae Stephens as the Pentagon’s No. 2, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Phelan, who leads the private investment firm Rugger Management and once handled Michael Dell’s investments, was a major donor to the Trump campaign and reportedly hosted the president-elect at his Aspen, Colorado, home this summer where Trump went on a profanity-laced tirade about immigration and warned that the election could be the last the United States ever had if Vice President Kamala Harris had won.
Trump chose Phelan, who did not serve in the military and does not have a long track record with the Navy, after a round of interviews at Mar-a-Lago on Monday, according to one person familiar with the matter who was granted anonymity to discuss internal matters.
Rep. Mike Garcia of California, a retired naval aviator defeated in his reelection bid to win his battleground seat, and Rep. Ronny Jackson, a close Trump ally and retired captain who served as Trump’s chief medical adviser during his first administration, were also rumored as candidates for the job.
“John’s intelligence and leadership are unmatched,” Trump wrote. “His incredible knowledge and experience will elevate the lives of the brave Americans who serve our Nation. John will deliver real results for our Navy and our Country.”
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