U.S. President Donald Trump reacts as he answes questions from the media during a press conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 6, 2026.
Since its inception, Newsmax has been known for its loyalty to President Donald Trump and his administration. Many were therefore surprised when on Friday, Newsmax host Greg Kelly delivered a no-holds-barred criticism of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to fire John Phelan from his post as Naval Secretary, calling the Pentagon chief an “insecure FAKE.”
“What a DESPICABLE guy Hegseth is,” posted Kelly. “Frustrated that he can’t remove his Real Nemesis, the Army Secretary, He Fires the NAVY Secretary, has him ‘walked out of the building’ by security. But this was NOT an Urgent matter. Could have given the SECNAV a month, maybe 2 weeks notice. You know, The DECENT thing to do. Instead this Insecure FAKE, who Lied and Conned his way thru Life (see Mom) and the Trump admin (see ‘confidential settlement’ ie Blackmail of accuser #1) Blows up Someone Else’s life bc he can’t Handle his own. Not CUTE anymore.”
There is a lot to unpack in those 96 words.
The “Real Nemesis” Kelly refers to is Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who drew Hegseth’s ire by questioning his ability to command. As for having Phelan walked out of the building, it’s been reported that the firing was highly contentious, so much so that Phelan refused to believe it at first, went to the White House for confirmation, then was escorted out. The “see Mom” was in reference to a letter Hegseth’s mother wrote, in which she asserted that her son is an “abuser” who “lies” and “cheats.” And the “confidential settlement” was a nod to the $50,000 Hegseth paid to a woman who accused him of sexual abuse in 2017.
There has been a flurry of controversy around the decision to fire Phelan. Some have suggested that he got the axe in part because he refused to punish Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) for making a video reminding military officers of their constitutional duty to reject illegal orders, which a judge had ruled would be a violation of his First Amendment rights.
Phelan has temporarily been replaced by acting secretary Hung Cao, who has a reputation for loyalty to Trump and the administration’s anti-woke ethos.