Join the each day Inside Washington e-mail for unique US protection and evaluation despatched to your inbox
Get our free Inside Washington e-mail
Get our free Inside Washington e-mail
Donald Trump has tapped a GOP megadonor with no navy expertise to go up the U.S. Navy in his newest slew of cupboard picks.
On Tuesday evening, the president-elect introduced John Phelan as his alternative to guide the Division of the Navy underneath protection secretary Pete Hegseth if the latter controversial nominee is confirmed by the Senate.
Within the announcement, Trump stated Phelan’s “record of success” will “speak for itself.”
“A true Champion of American Enterprise and Ingenuity!” Trump stated. “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 artwork collector, is the co-founder of MSD Capital and the top of personal funding agency Rugger Administration. He was a significant donor to Trump’s 2024 presidential marketing campaign and reportedly hosted the president-elect this summer time at his $38 million property in Aspen, Colorado.
He donated $834,600 to Trump’s joint fundraising committee in April, FEC filings present.
Phelan has no navy expertise.
open picture in gallery
John Phelan, an artwork collector and head of a non-public funding agency, is Trump’s decide to guide the U.S. Navy (Getty)
Based on 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 decide of Phelan to guide the world’s strongest Navy was immediately criticized as a result of his lack of protection expertise, given {that a} navy background is frequent for these taking on the publish.
“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 Conflict veteran and founding father of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, stated in a publish on X.
“The least qualified and most overtly political cabinet in American history continues to expand. And #OurEnemiesAreCelebrating.”
open picture in gallery
Trump’s decide to guide the U.S. Navy has no navy expertise, his critics stated (POOL/AFP by way of Getty Pictures)
The Navy decide got here amid of flurry of bulletins from the president-elect on Tuesday evening unveiling extra of his future administration picks.
Many figures already tapped to affix his second time period have already raised eyebrows, significantly Fox Information host Hegseth who’s Trump’s alternative to go up the Pentagon who additionally faces criticism that he lacks expertise for such a high job.
“The best thing one could say” about Hegseth, based on Veterans for Accountable Management founder Dan Barkhuff, is that he’s “wholly unqualified to lead the [Department of Defense] on merit.”
Hegseth, 44, is a former Bear Stearns banker who later served excursions with the Military Nationwide Guard in Guantánamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and led veterans-focused advocacy organizations.
His nomination faces jeopardy not solely due to his inexperience. Hegseth can also be going through a sexual assault allegation that he raped a girl at a California resort in 2017, an encounter Hegseth has claimed was consensual.
