Merchant Marine Leaders Quit After Duffy Speech

From the Department of Transportation:

Vice Admiral Joanna M. Nunan, 14th Superintendent of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, and Deputy Superintendent Rear Admiral David M. Wulf have announced their departures. This brings to an end their tenure committed to the quality of the midshipman experience at Kings Point. Among their last official duties at the Academy was to preside over the Class of 2025’s Commencement Exercises.

Instrumental in forging a long-term agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and in developing a comprehensive plan for campus modernization, Nunan’s and Wulf’s efforts leave Kings Point well-positioned to fulfill the Academy’s critical national-security mission and to thrive long into the future.

“I thank Vice Admiral Nunan and Rear Admiral Wulf for their service to our Nation and to our midshipmen,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, its critical mission, and its extraordinary midshipmen fully deserve the kind of dedication and commitment the Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent brought to their roles at Kings Point.”

Read the full press release. No reason is given for the departures. As reported here yesterday, Sec. Sean Duffy went full Christian nationalist and ridiculed atheists during his commencement speech to the academy.

“There are two kinds of people, those who believe in God and those who think they’re God.”

Good sailors know that only God can calm the seas and bring everyone home safely. pic.twitter.com/sveuKjuRvL

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) June 23, 2025