THE PENTAGON — Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus admitted to reporters last week that the reason he’s made so many unpopular changes is because he “just hates the Navy.”

The remarks came during a press conference in which Mabus was defending his decision to name the newest Arleigh Burke-Class guided missile destroyer after retired Sen. Carl Levin, who has never served in the US military.

“Carl has given us years of dedicated work on the Armed Forces Committee. This ship will honor that legacy,” Mabus replied to a question about why the vessel wasn’t named after an actual sailor. When the reporter followed up and asked why Mabus has shown a controversial pattern of naming ships after non-military personnel, he started to laugh.

“You know what? I’m not going to play this game anymore,” he said. “I just really fucking hate the Navy! There, I said it.”