Navy Secretary Resigns Over Carrier Remarks, Pentagon Names Replacement

Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on Dec. 3, 2019. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly submitted his resignation on Tuesday, according to Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who said he accepted it and nominated Under Secretary of the Army James McPherson as his replacement.

Modly resigned after he made controversial remarks to the crew of the USS Theodore Roosevelt about their dismissed captain, Brett Crozier, whom he called “too stupid” and “too naive” in a speech, which was later leaked to the press, calling on the Navy to use stronger efforts to try and curb the spread of COVID-19 on the ship.