Defense Secretary Hegseth Fires Navy Chief of Staff Amidst Pentagon Leadership Shakeup

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed the Navy Chief of Staff, Jon Harrison, in a significant shakeup following the confirmation of Hung Cao as the new Navy Under Secretary. This move is the latest in a series of high-profile personnel changes within the Department of Defense.

“Jon Harrison will no longer serve as the Chief of Staff of the Secretary of the Navy. We are grateful for his service to the Department,” a Pentagon spokesman confirmed on Saturday. Harrison, a political appointee from the Trump administration, had been working with Navy Secretary John Phelan on efforts to streamline Navy policy and budgeting.

Sources close to the matter, speaking anonymously, indicated that Harrison had attempted to limit the role of the newly appointed Under Secretary, Navy veteran Hung Cao, and had even reassigned aides intended to support Cao in his new position. Cao, a Republican and strong Trump supporter, previously ran for Congress and Senate in Virginia.

This latest dismissal is part of a broader series of leadership changes initiated by Secretary Hegseth this year. He has also removed several other top aides, including senior advisor Dan Caldwell, deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, and Colin Carroll, chief of staff to the deputy secretary of defense. Furthermore, Hegseth has replaced prominent uniformed leaders, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, and Commandant of the Coast Guard Adm. Linda Fagan.

Harrison had assumed the chief of staff role in January, following his service as chairman of the United States Arctic Research Commission in the first Trump administration. This ongoing reorganization occurs as the administration continues to pursue initiatives like the revival of America’s shipbuilding industry and grapples with ongoing investigations, such as the Pentagon Inspector General’s inquiry into the “Signalgate” incident involving former National Security Council aide Mike Waltz.

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