The United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has fired the President Trump appointed Navy Chief of Staff Jon Harrison from his role on Friday, October 3, 2025.
The Department of War announced in a statement, “Jon Harrison will no longer serve as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Navy. We are grateful for his service to the department.”
He was fired over sweeping changes in Navy’s policy and budgeting divisions.
This reorganization in the Armed forces comes just days before the Senate’s confirmation of Navy Undersecretary Hung Cao.
Harrison and Navy Secretary John Phelan’s sweeping changes to policy and budgeting could be behind Hegseth’s move. Politico previously reported that the two reassigned several aides ‘who were supposed to help Cao navigate the role once he’s confirmed’.
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“They had also planned to interview all future military assistants for Cao to ensure decisions came from the secretary’s office,” the publication added.
Cao was nominated by President Trump. He is a Navy veteran and a former Republican Senate candidate in Virginia.
I recently reposted his amazing campaign video when he ran for the Senate.
BREAKING: US Senate CONFIRMS Trump nominee Hung Cao as Under Secretary for the Navy, 52-45.
Hung Cao served in the Navy for YEARS and fled communism from Vietnam. He ran for Virginia US Senate in 2024. pic.twitter.com/YmjRoOFx1z
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 1, 2025
