Overview

• On July 10, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth withdrew Rear Adm. Michael Donnelly’s nomination for vice admiral and commander of the U.S. Seventh Fleet.
• President Trump had nominated Donnelly in mid-June and the Senate gave voice vote approval for his promotion on June 29.
• Hegseth’s decision followed criticism of Morale, Welfare and Recreation drag performances held aboard the USS Ronald Reagan during Donnelly’s 2016–18 command.
• The Navy declined to comment publicly as the Defense Department begins identifying a new nominee for the Seventh Fleet post.
• Headquartered in Yokosuka, Japan, the Seventh Fleet oversees U.S. naval operations across the western Pacific and eastern Indian oceans.