US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the appointment of retired Navy captain and former Republican Senate candidate Hung Cao as under secretary of the Navy, the second-highest position in the military branch.
Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, praised Cao as “the embodiment of the American Dream” and said: As a refugee to our Great Nation, Hung worked tirelessly to make proud the Country that gave his family a home. He went to our amazing United States Naval Academy, and later earned his Master’s Degree in Physics.”
“Hung served in combat as a Special Operations Officer for twenty five years. With Hung’s experience both in combat, and in the Pentagon, he will get the job done. Congratulations to Hung, and his wonderful family!” Trump added.
“Thank you, Mr. President. It’s time to get to work,” Cao wrote in response to Trump on X.
Praising Trump’s decision, Elon Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), shared a video of Cao on X, with caption: “A reminder of what could happen.”
Who is Hung Cao?
- Cao, a Navy veteran from Loudoun County, Virginia, served 25 years as a Special Operations Officer.
- He ran an uphill campaign against Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) in the 2024 election but was ultimately defeated by the Democratic incumbent.
- Cao immigrated to the United States as a child in 1975 after his family fled Vietnam just before the fall of Saigon.
- He later served in the Navy for 25 years, retiring at the rank of captain.
- His military career included combat deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia, as well as noncombat assignments at the Pentagon, the Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI. While serving, he was also responsible for managing the Navy’s $140 billion budget.
- Cao first entered politics in 2022, running for Congress in Virginia’s 10th District, where he was defeated by Democrat Jennifer Wexton.
- He later launched his Senate campaign, where he made headlines for his criticism of DEI efforts in the military, particularly a Navy recruiting program that featured a drag-performing petty officer.
- He gained national attention during a debate with Tim Kaine in Virginia elections, where he criticised “drag queens” and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the US military, a moment that went viral on social media.
- He said, “When you’re using a drag queen to recruit from the Navy, that’s not the people you want,” and argued that the military should focus on attracting “alpha males and alpha females who are going to rip out their own guts, eat them, and ask for seconds.”
