Hegseth fires top Navy official
by Ashleigh Fields - 10/03/25 8:35 PM ET
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday fired Navy chief of staff Jon Harrison, delivering a blow to the insider who helped rewire internal protocols to fit the vision of the Trump administration’s defense agenda.
Harrison’s removal comes after the confirmation of Navy Undersecretary Hung Cao, whom President Trump appointed to serve as the second-most senior civilian under Navy Secretary John Phelan.
Harrison and Phelan supported Hegseth in his ventures to introduce new military policies, cancel numerous outside contract agreements and reassign aides who were intended to help onboard Cao following his confirmation earlier this week.
“Jon Harrison will no longer serve as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Navy. We are grateful for his service to the Department,” a Department of Defense (DOD) official said in a statement to The Hill.
Politico first reported Harrison’s ouster. Prior to his role as chief of staff, Harrison was appointed to the United States Arctic Research Commission by Trump in 2020.
While there, he served as chairman of the commission until the spring of 2021.
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https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5538344-hegseth-fires-top-navy-official/
