WASHINGTON—President Trump will nominate Navy Vice Adm. Mike Gilday to be the next top officer of the Navy, three U.S. officials said, after the confirmed nominee, Adm. Bill Moran, was ousted earlier this week over an ethics issue.

Adm. Gilday and other Navy officials met late Wednesday with Mr. Trump at the White House and Mr. Trump gave the nod to the nomination, one official said. Adm. Gilday was recently appointed to be the director of the Joint Staff at the Pentagon and had been in that job for only a matter of months.

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