Overview

• Defense officials and a Pentagon statement confirmed Jon Harrison is out as chief of staff to the Navy secretary, days after the Senate confirmed Hung Cao as undersecretary.
• Politico and other outlets report Harrison and Navy Secretary John Phelan had reassigned aides and sought to limit the undersecretary’s influence, setting the stage for the ouster.
• The firing lands after the Quantico summit where President Trump and Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a 10‑point directive featuring anti‑DEI rhetoric and talk of using U.S. cities for training, though there were no changes to oaths or an immediate purge.
• Retired and current leaders warn the Quantico spectacle risks politicizing the force and creating legal dilemmas for commanders, even as analysts note the most dramatic steps did not occur.
• Hegseth has launched an overhaul of Pentagon watchdog processes and is reported to be under investigation over his use of Signal, while separate reporting highlights mounting financial strains for troops and veterans during the funding standoff.