Navy Secretary John Phelan's last-ditch effort to save his job fell flat after a meeting with President Trump, who sided with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's decision to fire him.
Phelan, a longtime friend and neighbor of Trump, had spent the day meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill before heading to the White House to plead his case.
However, Hegseth and his deputy, Stephen Feinberg, had already made the argument to Trump that Phelan wasn't moving quickly enough on Trump's shipbuilding priorities, particularly the 'Golden Fleet' and increasing reliance on steam.
Phelan's dismissal is a sign that Hegseth retains Trump's support despite recent high-level personnel churn at the Pentagon.
The ousting came as a shock to Phelan and his senior aides, who learned about the decision from a social media posting by Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.
Hegseth's rapid-fire reshuffling of top leaders has caused concern at a precarious moment, as America enforces a naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Phelan's push to speak to Trump directly before accepting the decision points to one reason he was fired: refusing to acknowledge the chain of command.
The White House had clashed with Phelan over various issues, including a list of Medal of Honor recipients that the president wanted.
Phelan's dismissal follows months of tensions with Hegseth and Feinberg, including over Phelan's close relationship with Trump.
