Greg Kelly says ‘What a despicable guy’ in blast at Hegseth after Phelan firing

WASHINGTON, DC: Newsmax host Greg Kelly, on Friday, April 24, tore into  Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after the sudden ouster of Navy Secretary John Phelan, accusing the Pentagon chief of humiliating a senior official and acting out of personal frustration.

In a scorching social media post on X, Kelly called Hegseth “a despicable guy” and said the episode showed a lack of basic decency.

Kelly’s blistering attack against Hegseth

Kelly reacted to reports that Phelan had been dismissed and escorted out by security, saying the move was unnecessary and vindictive.

“What a DESPICABLE guy Hegseth is,” Kelly wrote on X. He then accused the defense secretary of targeting the wrong person, writing that Hegseth was “frustrated that he can’t remove his real nemesis” and instead “fires the Navy secretary.”

Kelly’s sharpest criticism focused on how the departure was handled.

“This was NOT an urgent matter,” he wrote, arguing that Phelan could have been given “a month, maybe two weeks notice.” He added, “You know, the DECENT thing to do.”

He went on to portray Hegseth as insecure, writing that the Pentagon chief had “blows up someone else’s life because he can’t handle his own.”

John Phelan's sudden exit 

The Pentagon confirmed Wednesday that Phelan would be leaving after around 13 months as Navy secretary.

Officials later said he had been asked to step down, though no detailed public reason was immediately given.

Multiple reports that followed pointed to growing friction over Navy priorities, especially shipbuilding targets and budget planning.

President Donald Trump has pushed for a stronger and faster-growing fleet, but defense analysts have warned that industrial limits and rising costs could slow those ambitions.

Internal disputes over shipbuilding and acquisition control intensified inside the Pentagon.

Frustration reportedly peaked during a White House meeting, where Donald Trump, unhappy with delays, reportedly told Pete Hegseth to act, leading to John Phelan being asked to resign or face removal.

Phelan is the first service secretary to exit during Trump’s second term, and his departure adds to a pattern of turnover inside the Pentagon under Hegseth.

Undersecretary Hung Cao, a retired Navy captain and former refugee, has been appointed acting Navy secretary with immediate effect.

Hung Cao, a Naval Academy graduate and special operations veteran, is seen as bringing frontline experience as tensions rise in the Strait of Hormuz.