LOS ANGELES, California, September 2, 2026 — President Trump said Tuesday that he was nominating acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao for the permanent position. Cao has been leading the Navy and Marine Corps in an acting capacity for nearly four months. The nomination now goes to the Senate for confirmation.
From Refugee to the Upper Echelons of the Pentagon
The son of parents who escaped war-torn Vietnam following the fall of Saigon in 1975, Cao was born in Saigon in 1971. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with over 25 years in the Navy. He served as a diver and explosive ordnance disposal officer in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia.
In 2021, Cao was a captain when he retired from the military to pursue politics. In 2022, he was unsuccessful in a House bid from Virginia and lost a Senate race to Tim Kaine. Trump went on to hire him into the administration as undersecretary of the Navy.
Cao is married to April Cao, and they have five children. Post-academy training, he attended the Naval Postgraduate School where he earned a degree in physics. He logged more than two decades of active duty combat deployments.
‘A True Warrior,’ Trump Says
In a social media post announcing the pick, Trump praised Cao. “I have the honor of nominating a TRUE WARRIOR, Hung Cao,” he wrote. He said it was important for the Senate to swiftly approve Cao.
Cao has served as acting secretary since April when John Phelan unexpectedly left the position. Cao served in uniform for decades and so approaches the job of speaking for troops as a veteran, as opposed to Phelan who had no military background. While acting, he put quality of life for sailors and shipbuilding at the top of his agenda.
According to Trump, the Navy and Marine Corps need “leaders like Cao” at “the top.” He said he could think of “no one better” to keep the force competitive globally. The move brought to an end months of speculation over who would be appointed permanently in place of Phelan.
Timing Amid Pentagon Turmoil
The nomination comes a day after Army Secretary Dan Driscoll submitted his resignation amid reports of friction with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Cao’s own time in the post has been marked by sailor pressure during prolonged deployments; military monitors report some crews have been pushed to their limits.
In a past committee hearing photo, defense leaders listened to testimony alongside naval experts before the Senate Armed Services Committee to discuss vehicle budgets. Cao has embraced administration efforts to roll back diversity programs throughout the military, overseen by the U.S. Department of Defense. His confirmation hearings, which may take place in the weeks ahead, could be affected by that record.
Driscoll’s departure was just one in a series of leadership changes among senior military civilian structure. Phelan himself left suddenly in April. Confirming Cao could bring stability to a department that has seen leaders come and go.
Fielding a Contested Record on the Trail
Cao had faced criticism for remarks made before taking on his role in the administration. During a past interview, he said the California city of Monterey had become a “dark place.” Some of the statements were pointed out by critics during his statewide election campaigns.
He lost a bid for a U.S. House seat in 2022 and a bid for the Senate two years later to Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine. Both campaigns emphasized his military biography over policy.
Backers argue that his record in service will do the talking and require little extra rhetoric. A confirmation hearing has not been set by the Senate. Cao would be the first Vietnamese-American to run the Department of the Navy if confirmed.
