President-elect Donald Trump has tapped an art collector and GOP megadonor with no military experience to lead the U.S. Navy, he announced on Tuesday.
John Phelan is the leader of the private investment firm Rugger management and was a major fundraiser for Trump’s campaign. He donated $834,600 to Trump’s joint fundraising committee in April, FEC filings show, and also hosted a dinner for the president-elect at his $38 million home in Aspen, Colorado, The Guardian reported. The dinner raised $12 million for Trump's campaign.
“John will be a tremendous force for our Naval Servicemembers, and a steadfast leader in advancing my America First vision,” Trump wrote in a statement. “He will put the business of the U.S. Navy above all else.”
Trump selected Phelan after a series of interviews in Mar-a-Lago earlier this week, sources told Politico.
Phelan previously oversaw the firm that handled investments for Michael Dell, the founder of Dell Inc. Phelan and his wife Amy are avid art collectors and regularly hold collection viewings for celebrity attendees at their Colorado estate, according to Art News.
“John’s intelligence and leadership are unmatched. John holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and is a truly brilliant guy!” Trump said in his statement. “His incredible knowledge and experience will elevate the lives of the brave Americans who serve our Nation.”
Other candidates considered for the position included retired naval aviator Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., and retired Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Tex., who was Trump’s chief medical advisor during his first term, Politico reported.
Phelan will serve under Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host facing allegations of sexual assault. Trump is also considering businessman Trae Stephens to be the Pentagon’s No. 2, The Wall Street Journal reported.
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Throughout his first term in office, Trump was regularly frustrated with the military’s refusal to obey his every demand, which included firing missiles into Mexico to target drug labs and to "just shoot" protestors marching against police brutality.
His 2024 nominations suggest an intent to fulfill his promise to fill the government with loyalists and self-styled disruptors who will follow-through with his plans to use the military for mass deportations to go after the “enemy from within." The president-elect also said he would fire military generals who are “too woke” and has vowed to ban transgender people from serving in the military, which would result in at least 15,000 active members being forced to leave, The New Republic reported.
Hegseth, who has promised to get rid of diversity initiatives in the military and wrote that America is head towards "some form of civil war," appears to have the right amount of inexperience and loyalty Trump is looking for. Though Phelan's views are lesser-known than Hegseth's, his similar lack of experience has invited questions as to why he's been selected.
“And of course, Phelan has not served in the Navy. Or any other branch of military service. But he is a big Trump donor,” Paul Rieckhoff, a veteran and founder of Iraq War Veterans of America wrote on X. “The least qualified and most overtly political cabinet in American history continues to expand. And #OurEnemiesAreCelebrating.”
"John Phelan, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of the Navy, appears to have absolutely zero relevant experience for the job — other than having hosted a fundraising dinner for Trump at his $38 million home in Aspen. He’s an art collector who runs a private equity firm," Democratic pollster Matt McDermott wrote on X.
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