Hegseth fires top Navy official

Source: Politico

EXCLUSIVE
Hegseth fires top Navy official

Jon Harrison is the latest Pentagon official who Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has removed from office.


Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to senior military leaders on Sept. 30 in Quantico, Virginia. Pool photo by Andrew Harnik

By DANIEL LIPPMAN, PAUL MCLEARY and JACK DETSCH
10/03/2025 06:11 PM EDT

Defense Secretary Pete Hesgeth on Friday fired Navy chief of staff Jon Harrison, an unusually powerful top aide who had orchestrated a reshuffle of the service's bureaucracy.

The sudden ouster, according to two defense officials and a former defense official, follows the confirmation this week of Navy Undersecretary Hung Cao.

The Pentagon, in a statement, confirmed Harrison's departure. "He will no longer serve as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Navy," it said. "We are grateful for his service to the Department." ... Harrison declined to comment.

The Navy secretary's chief of staff has traditionally been a behind-the-scenes job, the senior aide who keeps everything moving smoothly. But Harrison, a Trump administration appointee who joined the service in January, had a rare level of power.

{snip}

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/03/top-navy-official-fired-00593997