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Donald Trump has tapped a GOP megadonor with no military experience to head up the U.S. Navy in his latest slew of cabinet picks.
On Tuesday night, the president-elect announced John Phelan as his choice to lead the Department of the Navy under defense secretary Pete Hegseth if the latter controversial nominee is confirmed by the Senate.
In the announcement, Trump said Phelan’s “record of success” will “speak for itself.”
“A true Champion of American Enterprise and Ingenuity!” Trump said. “John’s intelligence and leadership are unmatched. John holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and is a truly brilliant guy! His incredible knowledge and experience will elevate the lives of the brave Americans who serve our Nation.”
Phelan, an art collector, is the co-founder of MSD Capital and the head of private investment firm Rugger Management. He was a major donor to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and reportedly hosted the president-elect this summer at his $38 million estate in Aspen, Colorado.
He donated $834,600 to Trump’s joint fundraising committee in April, FEC filings show.
Phelan has no military experience.
According to the U.S. Code, the secretary of the Navy shall be appointed “from among persons most highly qualified for the position by reason of background and experience.”
Trump’s pick of Phelan to lead the world’s most powerful Navy was instantly criticized due to his lack of defense experience, given that a military background is common for those taking up the post.
“And of course, Phelan has not served in the Navy. Of any other branch of military service. But he is a big Trump donor,” Paul Reickhoff, an Iraq War veteran and founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said in a post on X.
“The least qualified and most overtly political cabinet in American history continues to expand. And #OurEnemiesAreCelebrating.”
The Navy pick came amid of flurry of announcements from the president-elect on Tuesday night unveiling more of his future administration picks.
Many figures already tapped to join his second term have already raised eyebrows, particularly Fox News host Hegseth who is Trump’s choice to head up the Pentagon who also faces criticism that he lacks experience for such a top job.
“The best thing one could say” about Hegseth, according to Veterans for Responsible Leadership founder Dan Barkhuff, is that he is “wholly unqualified to lead the [Department of Defense] on merit.”
Hegseth, 44, is a former Bear Stearns banker who later served tours with the Army National Guard in Guantánamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and led veterans-focused advocacy organizations.
His nomination faces jeopardy not only because of his inexperience. Hegseth is also facing a sexual assault allegation that he raped a woman at a California hotel in 2017, an encounter Hegseth has claimed was consensual.
Source: independent.co.uk
