On October 3, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth terminated Jon Harrison’s role as Navy chief. This comes after the blatantly political confirmation of failed former Republican candidate Hung Cao as Navy Undersecretary.
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.”
Politico
Harrison enjoyed a “rare level of power.” Along with Navy Secretary Jon Phelan, they pursued bureaucratic changes in the Navy’s policy and budgeting offices, while seeking to undermine the role of the undersecretary. To undermine that role, they “reassigned several aides who were supposed to help Cao navigate the role once he’s confirmed. They had also planned to interview all future military assistants for Cao to ensure decisions came from the secretary’s office.”
While no reason has been cited in the firing of Harrison, it is likely that Hegseth feared his growing power within the Navy, and felt that Cao was owed after his failed bid against United States Senator Tim Kaine’s Senate seat. Regardless, this is yet another example of Hegseth finding himself mired in the office politics of the military, despite his pledges to focus on lethality and maintaining American military supremacy.
