Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan has been fired from the Trump administration, effective immediately.

Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell posted the terse announcement on X: “Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately. On behalf of the Secretary of War and Deputy Secretary of War, we are grateful to Secretary Phelan for his service to the Department and the United States Navy. We wish him well in his future endeavors. Undersecretary Hung Cao will become Acting Secretary of the Navy.”

A White House source said that Phelan wasn’t notified in a formal capacity and learned of his firing from Pentagon spokesman Parnell’s statement on X.

Phelan, a businessman and Trump donor with no prior military experience, had championed the “Golden Fleet” plan including a proposed “Trump-class” battleship.

According to the New York Times, his tenure was plagued by infighting with senior Pentagon leaders, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, over reviving the Navy’s shipbuilding program.

Undersecretary Hung Cao, a retired Navy veteran, now steps in as Acting Secretary.