Trump Nominates Hung Cao as Permanent Navy Secretary

President Trump announced Tuesday, September 1, 2026, via Truth Social that he is nominating Hung Cao — a Vietnamese-refugee-turned-Navy-veteran who has served as acting Navy secretary since April 2026 — to the permanent post, calling him 'a true warrior' and urging the Senate to 'confirm this Warfighter, ASAP.' Cao, a Naval Academy graduate and former special operations diver and explosive-ordnance-disposal officer who deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia before an unsuccessful 2024 Senate run against Tim Kaine, took over the acting role after John Phelan was removed. His stated priorities are personnel readiness, shipbuilding, and the sixth-generation F/A-XX fighter program; Senate confirmation is still required.