Donald Trump has picked a Republican megadonor with no military experience to head the U.S. Navy in his latest round of Cabinet appointments.

On Tuesday evening, President-elect John Phelan announced his choice to lead the Navy Department under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if the controversial nominee is confirmed by the Senate.

In the announcement, Trump said Phelan’s “track record” would “speak for itself.”

“A true champion of American enterprise and ingenuity!” said Trump. “John’s intelligence and leadership are unmatched. John has an MBA from Harvard Business School and is a truly brilliant guy! His incredible knowledge and experience will enrich the lives of the brave Americans who serve our nation.”

Phelan, an art collector, is co-founder of MSD Capital and head of private investment firm Rugger Management. He was a major donor to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and reportedly hosted the president-elect at his $38 million estate in Aspen, Colorado, this summer.

He donated $834,600 to Trump’s joint fundraising committee in April, FEC filings show.

Phelan has no military experience.

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According to the U.S. Code, the Secretary of the Navy is “appointed from among those persons who, based on their background and experience, are best qualified for the position.”

Trump’s choice of Phelan to lead the world’s most powerful Navy was immediately criticized for his lack of defense experience, as those who fill the post often have a military background.

“And of course Phelan didn’t serve in the Navy. From any other branch of military service. But he is a big Trump donor,” Paul Reickhoff, an Iraq war veteran and founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said in a post on X.

“The least qualified and most overtly political Cabinet in American history continues to grow. And #OurEnemiesAreCelebrating.”

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The Navy’s choice came amid a flurry of announcements from the president-elect Tuesday evening revealing more of his future governing decisions.

Many figures picked to serve in his second term have already raised eyebrows, notably Fox News host Hegseth, who was picked by Trump to lead the Pentagon and has also faced criticism for lacking the experience for such a top post .

“The best thing that can be said about Hegseth,” said Veterans for Responsible Leadership founder Dan Barkhuff, is that he is “wholly unfit to lead the (Department of Defense) on his merits.”

Hegseth, 44, is a former Bear Stearns banker who later served tours of duty with the Army National Guard at Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan and led veterans-focused advocacy organizations.

His nomination is in jeopardy not just because of his inexperience. Hegseth also faces sexual assault charges for raping a woman at a California hotel in 2017, an encounter that Hegseth claims was consensual.