Major Update from Capitol Hill: Senate Confirms Trump-Backed Nominee for Navy Secretary

In a significant development for former President Donald Trump’s circle, the U.S. Senate has officially confirmed John Phelan as the next Secretary of the Navy. The vote, which passed 62-30, secured bipartisan support for the Florida-based businessman and longtime Trump ally.

Phelan, who founded Rugger Management LLC and previously served as managing partner at MSD Capital, has no military background — a detail that drew some concern during his confirmation process. Still, despite a lack of direct experience in defense or government, he won over lawmakers with promises to bring private-sector solutions to the Navy’s ongoing structural and operational issues.

Citing the need for urgent change, Phelan told lawmakers, “The U.S. Navy is at a crossroads, extended deployments, inadequate maintenance, huge cost overruns, delayed shipbuilding, failed audits, subpar housing, and sadly, record high suicide rates are systemic failures that have gone unaddressed for far too long, and frankly, this is unacceptable.”

His nomination aligned with Trump’s ongoing push to elevate figures from the business world into top government roles, often with an eye toward shaking up long-standing institutions. When asked about Trump’s priorities for the Navy, Phelan responded bluntly: “I don’t think I could say shipbuilding enough times.” He identified delays and budget overruns in ship construction — especially for submarines and aircraft carriers — as his foremost concern.

Phelan committed to a hands-on approach starting immediately: “I intend to sit down day one, and we are going to go through every contract that we have and understand what exactly they say... what contract needs to change or not change, and why.” He also vowed to confront the issue of failed audits head-on: “I need to understand why the Navy cannot pass an audit.”

During his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Phelan addressed doubts about his qualifications: “I understand and respect stability and tradition,” he said, “but when it suffocates adaptability, innovation, collaboration, and trust, it erodes an organization’s ability to win.”

He directly acknowledged skepticism over his nomination: “I recognize and appreciate the worry of those who would wonder ‘why a businessman who did not wear the uniform should lead the Navy.’”

One of the most troubled programs on his radar is the Constellation-class frigate project, which has been plagued by repeated delays. “This program is a mess from what it looks like,” Phelan stated. “If confirmed, I plan to dig into this very quickly and understand the issues. And we’ll come back to this committee very fast with the knowledge that we have as soon as we get to the root cause of the problem.”

Although Phelan’s nomination was met with hesitation by some lawmakers due to his unconventional background, his emphasis on reform, transparency, and fiscal accountability struck a chord — particularly with those seeking a shake-up in defense management.

Now officially confirmed, Phelan takes on the task of addressing years of institutional dysfunction, with the Trump administration and its supporters closely watching what he does next.