Trump selects GOP mega donor and collector of Picassos to serve as Secretary of the Navy but there's a major problem

John Phelan, a Republican mega donor and good creation collector, has been nominated by Donald Trump to service arsenic Secretary of the Navy contempt having nary anterior subject experience.

Democrats whitethorn prehend connected this successful confirmation hearings, arsenic a subject inheritance is communal among those who service the high-level station but it's wide Trump likes Phelan's acquisition successful the backstage equity game. 

'John volition beryllium a tremendous unit for our Naval Servicemembers, and a steadfast person successful advancing my America First vision. He volition enactment the concern of the U.S. Navy supra each else,' the president-elect said successful a statement. 

Phelan co-founded MSD Capital, the backstage concern steadfast for Michael Dell, the laminitis and CEO of Dell Technologies.

He besides is the recovered and president of Florida-based backstage concern steadfast Rugger Management LLC. 

'His Record of Success speaks for itself – A existent Champion of American Enterprise and Ingenuity. John's quality and enactment are unmatched.'

Phelan and his woman Amy - who ain a $38 cardinal property successful Aspen, Colorado - walk overmuch of their wealth collecting creation pieces, arsenic they ain respective pieces by Picasso, Andy Warhol, Basquiat and galore different classical and modern artists, according to The Art Newspaper. 

The household person besides been steadfast backers of Trump: Phelan gave $834,600 successful April to Trump's associated fundraising committee, according to FEC filings. 

He's besides donated to assorted GOP authorities parties passim the 2024 predetermination rhythm arsenic Republicans took backmost the Senate and kept the House. 

The Phelans hosted Trump for an August fundraiser astatine their Colorado location wherever Trump warned his backers that if helium were to suffer to Kamala Harris it 'could beryllium the past predetermination we ever have,' The Guardian reported.

A Coral Gables, Florida native, Phelan graduated Southern Methodist University and got an MBA from Harvars. 

He and his woman person a daughter, socialite Makenzie Moon Phelan and helium sits connected the committee of respective museums. 

'John's quality and enactment are unmatched,' Trump said. 'John holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and is simply a genuinely superb guy! His unthinkable cognition and acquisition volition elevate the lives of the brave Americans who service our Nation.'

It's unclear what Phelan's plans are for the Navy, which is presently tally by Carlos Del Toro, a retired Navy officer, nether Joe Biden. 

It is believed 2 much accepted Trump loyalist - including Congressman and erstwhile aesculapian advisor Dr. Ronny Jackson and departing Rep. Mike Garcia of California - were the different candidates for the job.

Trump is said to person held a circular of interviews astatine Mar-a-Lago Monday that included Phelan, according to Politico.  

Five antithetic men served arsenic either caput oregon acting caput during Trump's archetypal term, each of whom had immoderate benignant of Naval oregon subject background. Law requires that immoderate Naval Secretary beryllium a civilian erstwhile nominated with astatine slightest 5 years extracurricular the service. 

The past caput of the Navy to person nary anterior subject acquisition was Donald C. Winter, who served nether George W. Bush from 2006 to 2009.  

The president-elect and immoderate of his nominees person stated a tendency to escaped the subject of 'wokeness.' 

Those see controversial would beryllium Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

Trump is reportedly planning to make a 'warrior board' of retired ex-military unit to weed retired 'woke generals' deemed unfit for leadership.

The president-elect's modulation squad is said to beryllium considering a draught enforcement bid with the powerfulness to reappraisal 3 and four-star officers they find 'lacking successful requisite enactment qualities', according to the draught seen by the Wall Street Journal.

During his run for re-election, Donald Trump vowed to purge the subject of alleged 'woke' generals, going truthful acold arsenic to suggest his professional and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, could beryllium executed for treason.

Current and erstwhile U.S. officials accidental Trump volition prioritize loyalty successful his 2nd word and basal retired subject officers and vocation civilian servants helium perceives to beryllium disloyal.

As commandant successful chief, Trump volition person the powerfulness to occurrence immoderate serviceman astatine volition from January. But an extracurricular committee would let him to sidestep the Pentagon's accustomed strategy of promotion, suggesting a looming purge, the WSJ notes.

There person besides been rumors that Trump will erstwhile again prohibition transgender people from serving successful the military, though the modulation squad enactment the brakes connected the thought for the clip being Monday. 

Phelan's presumption requires a elemental majority, oregon a 50-50 divided with a tiebreak from Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, successful the Senate to spell through. 

The Republican Party has 53 seats successful the upcoming Senate to the Democrats' 47.