Greg Kelly Critiques Army Secretary’s Actions Following Navy Secretary’s Dismissal

On Friday, Newsmax host Greg Kelly expressed strong criticism towards Army Secretary Pete Hegseth for his decision to fire Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, whose resignation was announced earlier in the week. Vice Secretary of the Navy Hung Kao will take on the role of acting chief following Phelan’s departure. Kelly took to social media, accusing Hegseth of living a life filled with “lies and deception.”

“What a despicable man Hegseth is,” Kelly remarked. He perceived the dismissal as a result of Hegseth’s frustration over not being able to deal with what he sees as his real adversary, the Secretary of War. According to Kelly, the manner of Phelan’s exit was unnecessarily abrupt. “They could have given SECNAV a month’s notice, maybe two weeks’ notice. You know, the right thing to do,” he added.

Kelly continued his tirade, labeling Hegseth as an “insecure fake,” suggesting that the Secretary couldn’t manage her own affairs, potentially leading to chaos in Phelan’s career. “It’s not cute anymore,” he concluded.

The Army Department did not immediately respond but referred the statement to a news outlet. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell also addressed the tweets, though Kelly didn’t respond to requests for further comments from news organizations.

Interestingly, earlier in the week, Kelly seemed to have a different perspective on Phelan’s termination. He commented on the timing, suggesting Hegseth must have had valid reasons for the decision, raising questions about loyalty and even implying treachery.

Phelan’s ousting came shortly after the USS Spruance had taken action against an Iranian vessel attempting to defy a blockade set by then-President Donald Trump.